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6d ago

Office of Special Counsel Rejects 2,000 Federal Worker Termination Complaints

The OSC, under Trump appointee Jamieson Greer, dismissed the cases as lacking merit, leaving workers to seek redress through other channels.

Protesters against federal job cuts outside a D.C. office building. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Overview

  • The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) dismissed approximately 2,000 wrongful termination complaints filed by fired federal probationary employees, citing lack of merit.
  • These workers are part of the tens of thousands terminated under the Trump administration's workforce reduction efforts, which include mass firings and buyout programs like 'Fork in the Road.'
  • The OSC is currently led by Jamieson Greer, a Trump appointee who also serves as U.S. Trade Representative; the previous OSC head, Hampton Dellinger, was fired by Trump in February and lost his legal challenge to the dismissal.
  • Fired employees whose complaints were dismissed by the OSC can still pursue appeals through the Merit Systems Protection Board, which continues to oversee legal challenges to the terminations.
  • Critics, including Democracy Forward’s Rob Shriver, argue that the dismissals undermine civil service protections and prioritize political interests over merit-based employment.