A federal judge on Tuesday ordered that a Democrat who served as the chair of a U.S. agency that hears appeals by federal government employees when they are fired or disciplined be temporarily reinstated after Republican President Donald Trump fired her.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington, D.C. issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from removing Cathy Harris from her position on the Merit Systems Protection Board while he considers her lawsuit alleging that her termination was unlawful.
The case is one of several brought by chairs or members of independent boards who have been fired by Trump since he took office last month that will likely test the scope of the president's powers over those agencies.
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has blocked an inquiry into Defense Secretary Pete...
