Federal Judge temporarily halts mass shutdown firings

WEST VIRGINIA (WVNS) – Plans by President Trump to fire thousands of federal employees were put on hold, at least for the time being.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order halting the Trump Administration from moving forward with additional firings. Administration representatives said the planned workforce reduction is justified due to ongoing government shutdown. Judge Illston, the official behind the ruling, said the president is operating outside his authority – a notion echoed by many Democratic lawmakers.

“All of these firings during the shutdown, I felt are illegal,” said Virginia Senator, Mark Warner. “The president has no additional powers. What appears to be blatant illegality, at least for the time being, has been shut down by a court order.”

Several lawsuits from labor unions emerged against the Trump Administration many of which claimed the president is targeting workers associated with democratic programs. 59News caught up with West Virginia State Treasurer, Larry Pack to get his thoughts on the situation. The treasurer has avoided involvement with the polarizing partisan politics informing the narrative around what’s happening in Washington, but said he hopes to see the shutdown come to an end soon so employees can get back to work.

“It’s very much an inconvenience for certain people. If you’re a federal employee and you’re not getting a paycheck, it’s a lot more than an inconvenience,” he said. “We’re just very hopeful that they get that settled in Washington really, really quickly.”

A preliminary injunction hearing is expected to be held later this month to determine if a long-term order can be issued to prevent additional firings.