Federal watchdog blocks Trump's firing of thousands at Agriculture Department

The Merit Systems Protection Board moved Wednesday to block the Trump administration’s attempt to fire thousands of “probationary” workers at the Agriculture Department, saying the action may have violated the law.

MSPB issued a 45-day stay on the firings to give Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger more time to review the cases.

Mr. Dellinger said the pause applies to more than 5,000 department employees who have been ousted since Feb. 13.

“I want to thank the MSPB for granting this important stay,” Mr. Dellinger said. “Agencies are best positioned to determine the employees impacted by these mass terminations.”

He went on to urge all federal agencies to rescind their “unlawful” firings of probationary employees.

The probationary employees — generally, those with less than a year of service in their jobs — have become a major battleground over President Trump’s executive powers.

His Office of Personnel Management prodded agencies to review their probationary employees and get rid of the non-essential ones, as part of an attempt to slim down government. Probationary employees lack full civil service protections and are supposed to be easier to fire.

But Mr. Dellinger, who as special counsel investigates adverse federal personnel decisions, said even probationary workers have some protections and the mass firings crossed those lines.