{"id":107130,"date":"2025-01-31T11:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T17:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=107130"},"modified":"2025-01-31T11:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T17:21:21","slug":"107130","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=107130","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

In the federal civil service, it’s a difficult task to terminate employment as it can take several instances of a problem that an employee doesn’t resolve before they’re terminated, however,<\/em><\/strong> insubordination<\/strong> is one of the things that management can, and will quickly send someone packing for, especially if they’re in the ‘excepted service’ which is – mostly – management. I suspect this guy will soon be g-o-n-e.<\/p>\n

\n

BLUF
\nUnlike Trump 1.0, when bureaucrats frequently ignored the administration and stymied its agenda, this time around, the lesson has been learned. Resistance is being met with immediate action. Gottlieb may very well hit the leftist podcast circuit, dining out on his reputation as a “martyr” and “truth teller,” but the lesson will not be lost on other people who aren’t anxious to follow that path.<\/p>\n

The Resistance Attempts a Coup at USAID and It Doesn\u2019t Go Well.<\/a><\/p>\n

The director of employee and labor relations at the US Agency for International Development has been placed on administrative leave after a stunning refusal to follow directions given by President Trump’s transition team.<\/p>\n

Tuesday, acting USAID Administrator Jason Gray ordered nearly 60 senior bureaucrats placed on indefinite administrative leave for taking actions to evade Trump’s executive orders; see\u00a0Trump Suspends As Many As 60 Senior Bureaucrats for Trying to Evade His Executive Orders \u2013 RedState<\/a>. In a memo, Gray said, “We have identified several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the president\u2019s executive orders and the mandate from the American people.\u201c As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That was not the end of the drama at USAID. On Thursday, another wave of downsizing swept the agency.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of contractors working for the US Agency for International Development are being put on unpaid leave and some are being terminated after US President Donald Trump imposed a sweeping freeze on US foreign aid worldwide.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The furloughs come even as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued overnight an additional waiver for “life-saving humanitarian assistance” while Washington undertakes the 90-day review Trump initiated just hours after he came into office on 20 January.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A USAID official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said “stop-work” orders issued on Monday for institutional support contracts resulted in 600 people being sent home and furloughed in the agency’s Global Health bureau.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Public Health Institute, an institutional support contractor for USAID’s Global Health bureau, sent an email to its employees late on Tuesday saying their employment has been terminated as a result of a stop-work order.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Enter Director of Employee and Labor Relations\u00a0Nick Gottlieb<\/a>, stage left. He\u00a0countermanded<\/a>\u00a0the order placing senior staff on administrative leave.<\/p>\n

Cancellation of Your Administrative Leave Status Under My Authority<\/strong><\/span>
\nThu, Jan 30, 2025 at 2.04 PM<\/strong><\/span>
\n[REDACTED]<\/strong><\/span>
\nAll:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Attached, please find a memorandum documenting the cancellation of your administrative leave status under my authority. Before you get your hopes up, your system accesses remain severed; you may receive another email within the day reinstating your leave status. However, that notice will not come from me.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have reviewed the materials that served as the purported basis for your placement in this status. Most of you had no role whatsoever in these materials. For the small number of you actually involved, the materials show no evidence that you engaged in misconduct.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, I no longer have authority to maintain you in this status. Someone else may claim to have that authority and I wish them the best in making a colorable argument to that end. I may not maintain my own accesses for much longer, so if you would like to stay in touch, I can be reached at \u00a0[REDACTED].<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I wish you all the best \u2014 you do not deserve this.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two hours and fifteen minutes later, he sent\u00a0another email<\/a>. He refused an order to terminate contract employees.<\/p>\n