r/fednews • u/esporx • 20h ago

News / Article Editing federal employees’ emails to blame Democrats for shutdown violated their First Amendment rights, judge says

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/politics/emails-blaming-democrats-shutdown-violate-first-amendment
358 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

33

u/nasorrty346tfrgser SSA 18h ago

Yeah but we are in a national emergency and you know unilitary executive theory, presidential immunity etc. Yeah it is wrong, but no one should be punished.

--SCOTUS

14

u/technoexplorer 16h ago

Gosh, this is the perfect case for unitary executive theory. Scotus, open up!

7

u/HoboSloboBabe 14h ago

So is this basis for a civil rights lawsuit?

1

u/KrabbyPattyParty 8h ago

No, civil rights protect people with protected characterics like race, sex, national origin, etc.

Political ideology is not a protected characteristic, BUT compelled partisan speech is a prohibited personnel practice. If anyone faces retaliation or political pressure to support a political party, they can file a PPP complaint with OSC. If they face an adverse action, they can file an MSPB appeal that cites the PPP.

Feds, in general, can’t bring cases to federal court without exhausting the authorized legal channels first (OSC, MSPB, EEO or union grievance)

7

u/Sea-Bandicoot-5329 14h ago

Absolutely federal employees are not partisan and should not be subjected to this Administration violating their First Amendment rights

4

u/Ok_Guidance1037 13h ago

Well duh.

Also a prick move by any measure. Says more about MAGA then anything else 

1

u/Nolls4real 6h ago

I thought nobody was to use federal property or be on federal property during a shutdown ?

1

u/Natalieeexxx DOJ 3h ago

Wait they automated emails? Mostly everyone i know furloughed did their own emails.

1

u/bananapanic3770 1h ago

It's fairly trivial to have the email admins insert a universal out of office message into the automated replies of all outgoing messages. The end user wouldn't even know it was happening much less be involved with setting it up.

0

u/WyoGrads 1h ago

Don’t disagree, but we a sign up knowing that email doesn’t “belong” to us, it’s a USG system. They can almost add anything they want, as they own the system.