❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed 144 officials on leave after they signed a public letter criticizing the agency’s direction under the Trump administration.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, 144 EPA officials, and over 400 current and former government employees who signed the letter.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The action was taken on Thursday at the EPA, which employs over 15,000 staff nationwide.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We have a ZERO tolerance policy for agency bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the agenda of this administration,” said Lee Zeldin.
🎯IMPACT: The decision underscores the administration’s commitment to enforcing its policies and sends a message to fifth-column staff.
The 144 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees who signed a letter criticizing the Trump administration’s reorganization of the agency and shift in its policies have been placed on leave. Sent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin earlier this week, the letter accused the agency of sidelining environmental protections and undermining public trust. Among the complaints leveled was the EPA’s abandonment of far-left progressive environmental justice initiatives.
Speaking on the matter, Zeldin emphasized that the majority of EPA employees remain committed to implementing the Trump White House’s agenda, describing the letter as the product of a small minority. “We have a ZERO tolerance policy for agency bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the agenda of this administration as voted for by the great people of this country last November,” Zeldin said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, a small number of employees signed onto a public letter, written as agency employees, using their official work title, that was riddled with misinformation regarding agency business,” Zeldin stated, adding: “Our ZERO tolerance policy is in full force and effect and will be unapologetically implemented unconditionally.”
The letter, signed by more than 400 current and former government officials, listed five primary concerns, including claims that the EPA is ignoring science, gutting environmental justice initiatives, and fostering a “culture of fear.” However, only 144 signatories were identified as active EPA employees, with the rest being former Biden government appointees, retirees, or individuals from other agencies who signed anonymously or under pseudonyms.
Since taking office, Zeldin has focused on rolling back regulations he argues are overburdensome and harm economic growth, while targeting wasteful green spending programs introduced during the Biden government. The National Pulse has previously reported that under Zeldin’s leadership, the agency uncovered a $14 billion scheme that saw taxpayer dollars funneled by the Biden-era EPA to an external account with Citibank, which disbursed the funds to three Democrat-aligned environmental nonprofits. Notably, one of the nonprofit groups, which received $2 billion in grants, is affiliated with Georgia election denier Stacy Abrams.
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