CREW sues for records on Project 2025 and federal worker protections

The Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Education have improperly failed to produce records related to civil service protections for federal workers, according to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. 

In October 2020, then-President Trump issued “Schedule F,” an executive order that, if implemented, would have stripped tens of thousands of federal workers of most merit-based civil service protections, including the protection against being fired based on political alignment. While President Biden rescinded the order after taking office, President Trump repeatedly stated his intention to reissue it if reelected. Trump’s position has garnered support from the authors of Project 2025, a broad policy agenda that advocates for the systematic dismantling of the civil service through mass firings, replacing career civil servants and agency experts with unqualified loyalists. 

In July 2024, CREW requested records from the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Education to identify all officials with the authority to initiate or implement terminations, suspensions, reductions in force, demotions, transfers or any other similar personnel actions. CREW also sought all communications between political appointees appointed to career civil service positions by the Trump administration through a process known as “burrowing” and The Heritage Foundation or any of the other conservative organizations involved with Project 2025. While the agencies acknowledged CREW’s requests, they have yet to produce responsive records. 

Given Trump’s reelection and continued plan to reimplement Schedule F, the public deserves to know who has the authority to carry out the order and to what extent any former political appointees turned career civil servants have communicated or coordinated with advocates for Project 2025. It is crucial that the government protect federal workers who hold their position based on merit, rather than allegiance to a particular party.