Trump's AG says lawyers who refuse orders could be fired, US government workers face buyout deadline as Trump presses ahead with overhaul and more ?
Reuters Legal
From the courts to law firms, we bring you the latest legal news. Subscribe to our newsletters: https://bit.ly/3nhgllA
?? Good morning from The Legal File! Here is the rundown of today's top legal news:
?? Trump's attorney general says lawyers who refuse orders could be fired
On her first day in office,?U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi?issued a directive that could allow?DOJ?lawyers to be fired if they refuse to advance legal arguments on behalf of?President Donald Trump's administration.
Bondi also plans to launch an effort to review criminal and civil cases brought against Trump while he was out of office. The inquiry, known as the "Weaponization Working Group," will also examine the prosecution of Trump supporters who played a role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the?U.S. Capitol?and other DOJ actions condemned by Republicans during?President Joe Biden's?administration.
She also directed the department to scale down its enforcement of U.S. foreign influence laws that have been used more aggressively in recent years, including against at least three Trump associates.
?? US government workers face buyout deadline as Trump presses ahead with overhaul
Millions of U.S. government workers face a Feb. 6 deadline to tell the Trump administration whether they will accept a buyout offer or remain in their jobs, but still face the possibility of being thrown out of work if they decide to stay.
President Donald Trump's aggressive drive to reduce the size of the government in a matter of weeks is unprecedented. It has caused turmoil in the U.S. capital, and sparked protests and union warnings that it?may violate multiple laws.
More than 40,000 federal employees had accepted the buyout offer as of Wednesday night, according to a source.
It is not clear how many of the federal government's 2.3 million civilian employees will ultimately accept the offer, which promises to pay their salaries until October if they resign by today.
Unions representing federal workers?sued to block?the "deferred resignation program" last week. A federal judge in Boston is to consider their request at 1 p.m. Eastern time (1800 GMT) on Feb. 6.
Those who don't accept the offer have been told their jobs could be at risk as the administration moves ahead with its overhaul of government operations.
The buyout encompasses not only employees at domestic agencies like the Department of Labor that have traditionally drawn the ire of Trump's Republicans, but intelligence agencies like the CIA as well.
The buyout is part of a government overhaul, which is being led by Trump's billionaire adviser Elon Musk. It has resulted in purges of personnel in a number of departments and has significantly scaled down America's main humanitarian aid agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development.
More cuts are likely. One source at the Office of Personnel Management said officials upped their demand for layoffs on Feb. 5 from 30% to 70% of all staff.
Democrats say the effort is illegal, as the U.S. Constitution gives Congress authority over spending matters.
"Everyone is stressed and frustrated. The mood is awful," said one worker at the Department of Health and Human Services, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
领英推荐
?? Union asks judge to block Elon Musk's DOGE from Labor Dept systems
One of the largest U.S. labor unions asked a federal judge on Feb. 5 to block?Elon Musk's government cost-cutting effort from accessing the Department of Labor's systems, which the union warned could give the billionaire sensitive information about investigations into his companies.
President Donald Trump has deputized Musk, the world's richest person and owner of electric vehicle company Tesla and space technology company SpaceX, with leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to identify fraud and waste in the government.
In a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C. federal court, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) asked U.S. District Judge John Bates to block what they called DOGE's imminent plan to access the Labor Department's information systems.
The union said that would potentially give Musk access to non-public information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) probes into his SpaceX, Tesla, and his tunneling company, The Boring Company, as well as investigations into his competitors.
Musk's?rapid takeover?of U.S. government agencies has enabled the South African-born businessman to exert unprecedented control over America's 2.2-million-member federal workforce and begin a dramatic reshaping of government.
In its complaint, the AFL-CIO said DOGE had already taken control of sensitive Treasury Department data, accessed sensitive information on federal workers housed at the Office of Personnel Management, and effectively dismantled USAID, the main U.S. agency responsible for foreign aid.
If DOGE representatives gain access to OSHA's databases, they could potentially give Musk information about people who filed complaints against Tesla and its competitors that would not normally be available to the public, the AFL-CIO's lawsuit said.
?? Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order nationwide
A second federal judge has issued an order blocking?Donald Trump's administration from implementing his plan to curtail U.S. birthright citizenship, saying no court in the United States has ever endorsed the Republican president's interpretation of the Constitution.
During a hearing on Feb. 5 in Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman sided with two immigrant rights groups and five pregnant women who argued that their children were at risk of being denied U.S. citizenship based on the immigration status of their parents in violation of the Constitution.
Boardman, an appointee of Trump's Democratic predecessor?Joe Biden, issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking Trump's order from going into effect as planned on Feb. 19 while the matter is litigated.
"Today, virtually every baby born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen upon birth," Boardman said. "That is the law and tradition of our country. That law and tradition are and will remain the status quo pending the resolution of this case."
A DOJ lawyer asked Boardman for 60 days to respond to the injunction, but did not say whether the Trump administration would appeal.
?? That's all for today, thank you for reading The Legal File, and have a great day!
For more legal industry news, read and subscribe to The Daily Docket.
Atlanta Writers Club Volunteer Promoting LEAP tonibellon.com @vols71.bsky.social Alcoholic parent,enabling spouse and friends. Keeping secrets from friends and teachers Read LEAP(Toni Bellon)
3 周Our Oath Never Expires Musk! Ultimately, Embrich concluded, federal workers “are holding the line — refusing to abandon our posts, refusing to be intimidated, and exposing this reckless power grab for what it is. We all took an oath to support and defend OUR Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That oath never expires. Musk wouldn’t know. He never took it.” https://www.rawstory.com/elon-musk-buyouts/
Former Safety Director & OIC Southeast Asia JPAC
3 周"Not So Grand" - A Precise, Comprehensive, Incomparable Case Study of Grand Canyon National Park, OSHA, OSC, and Others 'Leadership' and Safety Culture “What if there is no longer an OSHA or OSC?"—or one that has become neutered or diminishes itself by showing favoritism and/or violating laws and the trust the Nation has given it. Safety Professionals synthesize and analyze data, and ‘see around corners’—making predictions based on evidence and trend analysis. With Supreme Court's ‘Chevron’ ruling and tumultuous fed government; Existentially, shouldn’t the Profession be discussing “What if there is no longer an OSHA or OSC? 9th Circuit evidence is that I caught OSHA Phoenix/Area 9 HQ and OSC allegedly breaking several laws. I wrote 2 former OSHA Administrators personally, filed Sep 27, 2024 IG and DOJ Complaints against them. (9th Cir. Exhibit L OSHA pgs. 170-171, 185-186, 189-192, 196-198, 201-203, 702-763); OSC (pgs. 40, 133, 258, 260, 638, 649-651, 653-700) Both Assistant Secretaries of Labor are free to release those emails. The evidence and trend are undeniable. Thank You. Very Sincerely, Swede 9th Circuit https://lnkd.in/gfPPGn5w Loper Bright et al v. Raimondo et al, 603 US (2024) Summary https://lnkd.in/gzHyv8SK