EPA’s Bold Action: 144 Employees on Leave

Clear Facts

• The EPA has placed 144 employees on administrative leave for signing a petition against the agency’s actions under the Trump administration.
• The petition criticized the EPA’s deregulatory moves and claimed violations of the Hatch Act, which the agency refuted as misinformation.
• EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for employees undermining the administration’s agenda.

In a bold move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has placed 144 of its employees on administrative leave. This decision follows their involvement in a public petition that criticized the agency’s direction under the Trump administration.

The employees’ “declaration of dissent” was made public through a letter, which attacked the EPA’s recent deregulatory actions and the shift away from “environmental justice” initiatives that were prominent during the Biden era.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who has been vocal about his intolerance for internal sabotage, stated,
“We have a ZERO tolerance policy for agency bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging, and undercutting the agenda of this administration as voted for by the great people of this country last November.”

The letter, signed by the employees using their official EPA titles, represents only a small fraction of the agency’s workforce, which numbers over 15,000.

Other signatories included anonymous individuals, those using fake names, and retired or former Democratic appointees.

The petitioners voiced concerns over the Trump EPA’s stance on a Biden-era program that allocated funds to politically-connected nonprofits and criticized the agency for allegedly endangering public health and hindering scientific progress.

Furthermore, the letter accused the EPA’s administrator’s office of potentially violating the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in certain political activities. However, the EPA dismissed these allegations as misinformation.

“EPA Ethics received several inquiries as to whether the Hatch Act applies,” explained Justina Fugh, Director of the Ethics Office.
“The text does not, in and of itself, actually violate the Hatch Act: it does not advocate for or against a candidate for partisan election, political party or partisan group.”

Zeldin emphasized that the majority of EPA employees remain committed to the agency’s core mission, stating,
“The vast majority of agency employees are dedicated to the core mission of protecting human health and the environment, Powering the Great American Comeback, and respecting the will of the American people.”

He reiterated that the zero-tolerance policy would be “unapologetically implemented unconditionally.”

Zeldin also acknowledged the efforts of many dedicated career staffers at the EPA who are working diligently to implement the administration’s agenda, as endorsed by the American public.

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