signalmankenneth
Verified User
That's really petty, this administration can't handle criticism or dissent?!!
The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to suspend more than 100 staffers who signed a letter of dissent against the Trump administration’s policies in July, a representative of the union covering the agency’s staff told CNN on Friday.
The EPA previously moved to fire a handful of employees late last week, but now it is taking disciplinary action against more than 130 employees also suspected of signing the letter, the representative said. These employees were sent letters indicating they would be suspended for 14 days without pay.
The reason cited in the letters is for “conduct unbecoming of a federal employee,” the representative said, noting that is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, under the circumstances.
An EPA spokesperson would not confirm the report or details, saying the agency “does not comment on individual personnel matters.”
“These workers bravely voiced concerns about harmful changes at the Agency that threaten the lives of every American. And we know the administration’s motives are not about government efficiency or advancing public safety. Placing these workers on leave and now firing or suspending them months later has wasted over 47,000 work hours and $2 million. This is simply about squashing dissent and preventing workers from protecting American lives,” said Justin Chen, president of the union group AFGE Council 238, in a statement Friday.
The EPA placed roughly 140 employees on administrative leave in July, days after they signed a public letter expressing concern about the treatment of federal employees and the Trump administration’s regulations on climate and public health. In the letter, employees criticized the EPA, saying it has strayed from its core mission to protect human health and the environment.
The EPA conducted an “administrative investigation” into the employees, who were placed on administrative leave until July 17, according to internal emails viewed by CNN at the time. Some employees were let go last week, but additional staff members were affected on Thursday.
On Friday, the agency’s spokesperson also repeated its previous statement on the matter, saying the EPA “has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage, and undercut the will of the American public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November. Thankfully, this represents a small fraction of the thousands of hard-working, dedicated EPA employees who are not trying to mislead and scare the American public.”
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/05/climate/trump-epa-suspend-employees-dissent-letter
The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to suspend more than 100 staffers who signed a letter of dissent against the Trump administration’s policies in July, a representative of the union covering the agency’s staff told CNN on Friday.
The EPA previously moved to fire a handful of employees late last week, but now it is taking disciplinary action against more than 130 employees also suspected of signing the letter, the representative said. These employees were sent letters indicating they would be suspended for 14 days without pay.
The reason cited in the letters is for “conduct unbecoming of a federal employee,” the representative said, noting that is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, under the circumstances.
An EPA spokesperson would not confirm the report or details, saying the agency “does not comment on individual personnel matters.”
“These workers bravely voiced concerns about harmful changes at the Agency that threaten the lives of every American. And we know the administration’s motives are not about government efficiency or advancing public safety. Placing these workers on leave and now firing or suspending them months later has wasted over 47,000 work hours and $2 million. This is simply about squashing dissent and preventing workers from protecting American lives,” said Justin Chen, president of the union group AFGE Council 238, in a statement Friday.
The EPA placed roughly 140 employees on administrative leave in July, days after they signed a public letter expressing concern about the treatment of federal employees and the Trump administration’s regulations on climate and public health. In the letter, employees criticized the EPA, saying it has strayed from its core mission to protect human health and the environment.
The EPA conducted an “administrative investigation” into the employees, who were placed on administrative leave until July 17, according to internal emails viewed by CNN at the time. Some employees were let go last week, but additional staff members were affected on Thursday.
On Friday, the agency’s spokesperson also repeated its previous statement on the matter, saying the EPA “has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage, and undercut the will of the American public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November. Thankfully, this represents a small fraction of the thousands of hard-working, dedicated EPA employees who are not trying to mislead and scare the American public.”
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/05/climate/trump-epa-suspend-employees-dissent-letter
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