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Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempts to Fire Key Official
A significant legal development occurred on Tuesday as a federal judge intervened to prevent the Trump administration from dismissing a Democratic member of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). This board has been inundated with cases due to the President’s widespread firings and layoffs of civil servants.
District Judge Rudolph Contreras, appointed during the Obama administration, issued an order that bars the administration from removing Cathy Harris from her position on the MSPB without just cause. Judge Contreras temporarily reinstated Harris as he considered a preliminary injunction following a hearing held on Monday.
President Trump attempted to dismiss Harris on February 10, despite her term running until 2028. In her filed lawsuit, Harris claimed that the President is authorized to remove an MSPB member only for specific reasons: “inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.” However, the notice for her removal lacked any such justification.
In a related case, a federal judge also intervened on Saturday to halt the dismissal of Hampton Dellinger, a special counsel responsible for advocating for federal employees against illegal personnel practices and protecting whistleblowers. The Trump administration’s effort to terminate Dellinger, who was appointed by President Biden, took place on February 7 and, similarly to the Harris case, was executed without an articulated reason.
Dellinger’s assertion in his lawsuit mirrored that of Harris. He argued that, according to legal precedent, a president can only remove the special counsel for established reasons of inefficiency or misconduct. As a result of the legal proceedings, Judge Contreras allowed Dellinger to continue his role while awaiting a ruling on his request for a preliminary injunction.
The administration has since appealed the decision regarding Dellinger to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Meanwhile, on February 28, Raymond Limon, another Democratic MSPB member, concluded his term, leaving the board with only two members. The MSPB is structured to maintain a balance, prohibiting more than two members from the same political party from serving simultaneously.
Prior to his departure, Limon took action on February 25 to temporarily reinstate six federal employees who had been dismissed during their probationary period under circumstances deemed likely unlawful by the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). This decision preceded another federal court ruling that rescinded the directives prompting the mass firings of recently hired workers.
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