Oversight agency finds Trump's federal worker firings unlawful, asks for some employees to be reinstated

[Nevilledog]

https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/02/oversight-agency-finds-trumps-federal-worker-firings-unlawful-asks-some-employees-be-reinstated/403218/


An independent federal oversight agency has deemed at least some of President Trump’s mass firings of probationary period employees unlawful, creating a pathway for those employees to regain their jobs.

The Office of Special Counsel, the agency responsible for investigating illegal actions taken against federal employees, issued its decision for six employees, each at different agencies. While the decision was technically limited in scope, it could have immediate impact on all terminated staff at those six agencies and could set a wide-ranging precedent across government. It has not been made public and was provided to Government Executive by a source within the government. OSC, which did not provide the document to Government Executive, verified its authenticity.

OSC has turned the case over to the quasi-judicial Merit Systems Protection Board for enforcement of its findings and is so far requesting a 45-day stay on the firing decisions. The agency said it will use that time to further investigate the dismissals and determine the best way to mitigate the consequences from the apparent unlawful actions.

MSPB has three business days to issue a decision on the stay request. If it does not act by that deadline, the stay will go into effect. Henry Kerner is thought to have recused himself from the case as he previously led OSC.

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[Nevilledog]

1. Special Counsel's Press Release

https://osc.gov/News/Pages/25-22-Stay-Request-Probationary-Employees.aspx