US judge refuses to halt firings of CIA officers in DEIA programs

By Jonathan Landay

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Thursday refused to halt the firings of 21 CIA officers who were assigned to diversity, equality, inclusion and accessibility programs that President Donald Trump ordered eliminated, their attorney said.

Kevin Carroll, who is representing the CIA officers, said that U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga declined to issue a temporary restraining order to CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to stop the firings while the officers fight in court to keep their jobs.

The plaintiffs include some CIA personnel who have worked for the spy agency for 19 years and will lose their jobs a year short of qualifying for their pensions, said Carroll.

The ruling was expected to apply to 30 other CIA personnel who did not join the suit but like the plaintiffs face termination even though they were assigned to DEIA programs on a temporary basis.

A Central Intelligence Agency spokesperson declined to comment.

Trenga found that Ratcliffe has “sweeping statutory authority” to terminate CIA personnel if he determines it is in the national interest, said Carroll, a former undercover CIA officer.

Carroll argued that the officers are not being fired for national security reasons.

The judge had delayed the firings until Thursday’s hearing in the first legal battle between U.S. intelligence officers and Trump’s new spy chiefs over his January 20 directive ending all DEIA programs across the federal government.

The 51 officers temporarily assigned to DEIA programs were placed on paid administrative leave two days after Trump’s order.

They were told to accept one of three options by 5 p.m. on February 20 or be fired: retirement by October 1, resignation effective on Tuesday, or termination on May 20, according to court papers.

Carroll said he expected the government to ask Trenga to dismiss the suit.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Bill Berkrot)