A federal judge on Thursday afternoon ordered President Donald J. Trump‘s administration to rehire thousands of probationary federal workers dismissed as part of government cost-cutting measures in recent weeks. Federal District Court Judge William Alsup of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California—appointed to the bench in 1999 by then-President Bill Clinton—ruled that Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) had unlawfully terminated federal employees with the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Energy, Interior, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs.
In his ruling, Judge Alsup called the terminations “unlawful” and described the OPM’s statutory justifications for the mass firings as a “sham.” However, the far-left District Court judge did not go so far as to say federal agencies could not engage in force reductions—but stipulated that proper federal statutes and procedures would need to be followed.
From the bench, the Clinton-appointed judge lashed out at Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys, whom he accused of trying to hide who directed the layoffs. “You will not bring the people in here to be cross-examined. You’re afraid to do so because you know cross-examination would reveal the truth,” Alsup said. “I tend to doubt that you’re telling me the truth. … I’m tired of seeing you stonewall on trying to get at the truth.”
‘A CRAZY JUDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO.’
Additionally, Judge Alsup called OPM’s argument that the layoffs were performance-based “a gimmick,” again baselessly accusing the Trump administration of dishonesty: “It is sad, a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie.”
In a brief moment of self-awareness—and perhaps realizing his statements announcing his ruling could see him quickly reversed on appeal—Alsup added: “The words that I give you today should not be taken that some wild-and-crazy judge in San Francisco said that an administration cannot engage in a reduction in force. It can be done, if it’s done in accordance with the law.”
The lawsuit was brought by a federal employee union representing government workers. Meanwhile, in a similar case involving President Trump’s buyout offer, U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole ruled that federal employment policies were outside the jurisdiction of federal courts and should be adjudicated by the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).
