Judge orders reinstatement of tens of thousands of illegally fired federal workers

March 13 (UPI) -- U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate tens of thousands of illegally fired federal employees across six federal agencies.

He barred the Office of Personnel Management from putting out guidance on whether employees can be fired.

Alsup said just before issuing his ruling, "It is 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 is a lie. It was a sham in order to try to avoid statutory requirements."

The probationary federal workers were fired en masse at the departments of Treasury, Energy, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Interior and Agriculture.

Alsup's order came in a case brought by labor unions and other groups that alleged OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell directed the mass firings.

The judge blasted the Trump DOJ attorney for refusing to make Ezell available for cross-examination in the lawsuit.

"The government, I believe, has tried to frustrate the judge's ability to get at the truth of what happened here, and then set forth sham declarations," Judge Alsup said.

Alsup told DOJ attorney Kelsey Helland they were afraid to make Ezell available because, "you know cross-examination will reveal the truth."

Helland responded, "I respectfully disagree that we have submitted false evidence."

He added, "Decisions on these employment actions were made by these agencies and were fully endorsed by their political leadership."

American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley said in a statement, "AFGE is pleased with Judge Alsup's order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hellbent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public."