Several lawyers have filed collective appeals before a federal board on behalf of workers dismissed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Christopher Bonk, a partner at the law firm Gilbert Employment Law, has noted that several appeals have already been filed against federal agencies and plans to submit about 15 more on behalf of thousands of federal employees on probation who have been dismissed.
These appeals are being presented to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), an independent federal agency responsible for protecting federal government employees from retaliation. The legal strategies seek the reinstatement of employees in their positions and back pay, arguing that the mass dismissals did not comply with specific downsizing regulations.
Bonk has stated that the Trump administration has deliberately ignored laws and procedures, which has caused confusion and harm to the civil service. The president and his advisor Elon Musk have justified the dismissals as part of an effort to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in an overstaffed federal government.
The lawyers have highlighted that the dismissals violated various regulations, laws, and constitutional provisions, as many probationary workers were dismissed without prior notice and without considering their work performance. This is the case of Allison Keating, who lost her job at the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service and is in a difficult financial situation.
Keating has stated that the loss of so many public services nationwide will have a significant impact on society. On the other hand, Trump has tried to remove a member of the federal board he chairs, Cathy Harris, nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, but a federal judge ruled that Harris cannot be dismissed "at will" by Trump.