Federal Judge Overturns Trump’s Dismissal of Appeals Board Chairwoman
The judge, located in Washington, determined that the dismissal was illegal.
A federal judge in Washington ruled on Tuesday that the chair of an appeals board should be reinstated and can continue her role until her term concludes, following her termination by the Trump administration.
Officials from the Trump administration, such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, cannot dismiss Harris “without cause or in any way implying she has been removed without cause,” the judge noted, emphasizing they also cannot restrict her “access to any benefits or resources of her office.”
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“The MSPB possesses executive power and is accountable to the President through the removal authority,” the court documents stated, noting that it “can issue relief including reinstatement, back pay, and legal fees” as an agency under the executive branch.
Additionally, they claimed that the board “can also exercise oversight over other executive agencies by, for instance, reviewing the regulations of the Office of Personnel Management” and may have “broad authority to influence the management of the Executive Branch workforce.”
Trump removed Harris, a Democrat, on February 10. Her term was set to last until 2028.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has sought to lay off tens of thousands of federal workers through various methods, collaborating with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to identify and eliminate wasteful spending and inefficiencies in federal agencies.
Both Trump and adviser Elon Musk, who leads the reform initiatives, have indicated that reducing the federal workforce is necessary to minimize waste and abuse. Several lawsuits have been initiated in response to the layoffs.
“Given the deference that must be given to [Office of Special Counsel] at this initial phase, I find reasonable grounds to suspect that each of the six agencies conducted a prohibited personnel practice,” the MSPB declared in its order on February 25.
