
President Donald Trump gives remarks during an event celebrating the 2024 Stanley Cup Champion the Florida Panthers in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on Monday, February 3, 2025 (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images).
An independent quasi-judicial federal board has thwarted the Trump administration’s attempt to fire six probationary government employees in the executive branch, finding there was evidence to support the claim that their terminations violated federal law. The employees were fired as part of the administration’s sweeping attempt to reduce the federal workforce.
The Merit Systems Protection Board on Tuesday granted a request from the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to stay the terminations of the six employees for a period of 45 days while the special counsel’s office further investigates the complaints.
OSC is an independent watchdog agency primarily charged with protecting federal employees from prohibited personnel practices.