Sixth Lawsuit Brought by AG Clark Against the Trump Administration
Attorney General Charity Clark and a coalition of 20 attorneys general filed a lawsuit yesterday against numerous federal agencies for conducting illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees. “Probationary” refers to employees who were hired recently. Federal agencies claimed, in the form of termination letters, that these probationary employees were fired for unsatisfactory performance or conduct. The firings were instead part of the Trump administration’s attempt to restructure and downsize the entire federal government.
In the lawsuit filed on March 6, the attorneys general argue that the administration was required to follow federal laws and regulations that govern large-scale federal “Reductions in Force” (RIF). These critical protections ensure that certain personnel, such as military veterans, are given preference in retaining their jobs and that states are given enough notice to provide necessary services to those who are laid off. This lawsuit is the sixth case Attorney General Clark has brought against the Trump administration since President Trump took office in January.
“I am disappointed by the Trump administration’s repeated disregard for the law. When I was sworn in as Vermont’s Attorney General, I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and that is exactly what I am doing,” said Attorney General Clark. “Each and every day I am thinking of Vermonters as I fight for our rights, our democracy, and the rule of law.”
The lawsuits filed by Attorney General Clark since Inauguration Day have blocked unconstitutional and illegal acts and implementation of Executive Orders (EO) attempted by the Trump administration. The cases involve:
- Birthright citizenship ban (EO) – A preliminary injunction was granted, blocking the ban, while the lawsuit proceeds.
- Federal funding freeze or “OMB Memo” – A preliminary injunction was granted yesterday, March 6, stopping the Trump administration from pausing billions of federal assistance funding to the states that sued.
- Freeze of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants – A preliminary injunction was granted on Wednesday, March 5, barring the Trump administration’s attempt to cut billions in funding for critical biomedical and public health research.
- Elon Musk and the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE)’s unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s systems – a preliminary injunction was granted, blocking access by DOGE while the lawsuit proceeds.
- Unlawful delegation of executive power to Elon Musk – The case will proceed to expedited discovery where the States will seek information regarding DOGE’s current operations and future plans. The States anticipate filing a motion for a preliminary injunction by mid-April.
Attorney General Clark, elected by Vermonters to her second term on the same day that Americans selected Donald Trump to be the next President, has repeatedly pledged to defend Vermont values and oppose any illegal or unconstitutional actions taken by the Trump administration.
“President Trump has the power to make certain policy changes to shape his administration,” said Attorney General Clark. “But he cannot misuse his office to violate the Constitution or federal law, circumvent the rule of law, usurp the powers held by the other branches of our federal government, or violate state sovereignty. When he tries to do so, I stand ready to act.”
Since President Trump was sworn in on January 20, the Attorney General has received a deluge of constituent calls, emails, letters, notes, and postcards from Vermonters sharing concerns, pleas for action, and thanks to her office for taking a stand. Attorney General Clark wishes to thank the many Vermonters who reached out and will keep her promise to Vermonters to stand up for the rule of law and for Vermont.
A copy of the lawsuit filed yesterday is available here. Joining Attorney General Clark are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.
For more information on actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of Vermonters, visit our website at ago.vermont.gov/ago-actions.
CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 802-828-3171