Federal workers spoke to reporters after DOGE fired them. Now they face investigation. [View all]
Source: CBS News
May 9, 2025 / 6:05 PM EDT
At least half a dozen USAID employees who spoke to reporters after they thought they had been fired by the Trump administration have now received notices from the foreign aid agency's internal human resources office that they are facing investigation for participating in interviews.
The workers, whose formal dismissal date was delayed after leaders encountered bureaucratic snags, received an email in recent days carrying the subject line, "Administrative inquiry." The email accused them of having "engaged with the press/media without authorization" and threatened "disciplinary action" including "removal from the U.S. Agency for International Development."
The emails were sent by Employment Labor Relations, which is part of the USAID's internal HR structure, and manages most disciplinary and performance complaints. "It's total intimidation," said Randy Chester, the vice president of the American Foreign Service Association, which is the union that represents USAID employees. He said employees started receiving notices on Monday. The union shared the email exclusively with CBS.
"Federal employees do not surrender their constitutional rights when they take public service jobs," said Abbe Lowell, a veteran Washington, D.C., attorney who launched his own firm last week to protect public officials from retaliation. Lowell is known for representing high-profile political figures including Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Hunter Biden. "This so-called 'inquiry' does not appear to be about enforcing any rules so much as it's trying to silence criticism," he said.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-usaid-federal-workers-spoke-to-reporters-investigation/
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