Around 80 former federal employees filed an appeal challenging their dismissals with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), a body that defends federal workers from politically motivated actions. Ironically, the board’s former chair, Cathy Harris, was recently dismissed by President Donald Trump.
The group, which includes staffers from the 18F digital services team—known for projects like the IRS’s Direct File tool—filed the complaint against the General Services Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk. The former employees allege they were targeted in a February reduction-in-force (RIF) based on their presumed political views and advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). They also cite retaliation for whistleblowing on management’s mishandling of sensitive systems and data during a leadership transition.
In February, Musk appeared to take credit for the firings, posting on his social platform that he had “deleted” 18F in response to a user criticizing the team as “far left” and expressing concerns about government involvement in tax preparation. Musk wrote, “That group has been deleted.”
According to the appeal, the workers were dismissed under the guise of a RIF due to perceived alignment with left-leaning or DEI-related views—actions the complaint says violate federal civil rights and misuse RIF procedures to penalize political beliefs and enforce ideological conformity.
The MSPB’s core mission is to safeguard federal employees from partisan interference and improper personnel actions. The appeal comes after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Trump to remove Cathy Harris, the board’s chairwoman, while legal proceedings continue.
As of April 9, Henry Kerner serves as the acting chair and the board lacks a quorum, meaning it cannot issue final decisions on appeals.
