A federal judge temporarily blocked the mass termination of IRS workers after newly revealed emails suggested the Trump administration falsely claimed performance issues as a reason for the firings.
The IRS fired nearly 7,000 probationary employees in February as part of broader government cuts led by Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, internal emails obtained by ProPublica show that a senior IRS lawyer warned officials the performance-related rationale was false.
Joseph Rillotta, the lawyer, pleaded with IRS officials to remove the claim, calling it “fraud” and threatening to report it to the agency’s inspector general. The warnings were ignored, and the terminations proceeded.
Many affected employees had stellar performance reviews. Federal lawsuits challenging the mass firings argue the administration fabricated the justification to sidestep legal protections.
Judge William Alsup ruled the firings were “based on a lie” and ordered the reinstatement of thousands of employees. The Trump administration has appealed the decision.
Sources
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