Clinton Judge Orders President Trump to Rehire Probationary Workers

A far-left federal judge ordered half a dozen federal agencies to “immediately” reinstate probationary employees fired last month as part of the Trump administration’s effort to shrink the federal workforce.

Judges run the US government, not elected officials.

The preliminary injunction issued from the bench by US District Judge William Alsup requires the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, Interior, and Treasury to rehire the employees. The judge said he might extend the order to cover other federal agencies at a later date.

Alsup, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, said he ruled this way because he believes the Office of Personnel Management unlawfully directed the agencies earlier this year to lay off the probationary employees, who generally have been on the job for less than a year.

“The court finds that Office of Personnel Management did direct all agencies to terminate probationary employees with the exception of mission critical employees,” he said, rejecting arguments from the Justice Department that OPM merely issued “guidance” to the agencies that then led to the firings.

He called the administration liars, saying good people were fired for no legitimate reason.

This will not impact Thursday’s deadline for federal agencies to submit their plans for mass layoffs to the White House and Office of Personnel Management. That directive arose from the Department of Government Efficiency’s recommendation to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” within agencies while also significantly downsizing the federal workforce.

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