A federal judge ruled on Friday that the Trump administration violated the First Amendment by sending automated emails and messages blaming the government shutdown on Democrats.
In the ruling, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the Department of Education (DOE) cannot compel federal workers to engage in partisan speech.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), represented by the Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group, previously sent a cease and desist letter and also filed a lawsuit against the Education Department over the political statement issued in staff email responses.
“Nonpartisanship is the bedrock of the federal civil service; it ensures that career government employees serve the public, not the politicians,” Cooper’s memorandum reads. “But by commandeering its employees’ e-mail accounts to broadcast partisan messages, the Department chisels away at that foundation."re
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