Federal officials fired by Trump face tough road in court
By John Kruzel - 04/11/20 05:30 PM EDT
President Trump’s recent shake-up of agency watchdogs has his critics fuming, but legal experts say that federal officials fired for even apparently political reasons have little legal recourse.
Trump’s firing of intelligence community watchdog Michael Atkinson last Friday was widely seen as payback for his handling of the Ukraine whistleblower complaint that sparked the president's impeachment by the House.
Legal experts, though, say that those ousted by Trump’s recent moves against inspectors general at multiple federal agencies and by his broader post-impeachment purge would be unlikely to win if they sued the U.S. government.
“It is a sad political commentary that Atkinson was let go for doing his job,†said employment attorney Thomas Spiggle. “The only punishment Trump may face is some karma at the ballot box.â€
more
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/492318-federal-officials-fired-by-trump-face-tough-road-in-court
