Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in collaboration with a coalition of 23 attorneys general, announced the filing of an amicus brief in the case of Harris v. Bessent. The brief supports Cathy Harris who is challenging her removal from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) by President Donald Trump. Previously, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered that Harris should remain a member of the MSPB. The federal government appealed this decision, prompting the coalition to file the brief in support of Harris.

Attorney General Bonta stated, "With the President’s continuous attacks on workers’ rights, the Merit Systems Protection Board's work to safeguard the rights of federal employees is now more critical than ever. Any attempt to undermine the Board’s statutory protections threatens the integrity of the federal workforce and the ability of career public servants to do their jobs, free from political interference."

The MSPB serves as a quasi-judicial body focused on protecting federal merit principles by adjudicating appeals from federal employees regarding unjust personnel actions, such as termination or retaliation. The amicus brief argues that Harris's removal violates the Civil Service Reform Act, which specifies that board members can only be removed for defined causes such as inefficiency or neglect of duty.

The coalition of attorneys general underlines the importance of the MSPB in hearing appeals of federal employees who may be denied employment rights under civil service protections. Without Harris, the MSPB lacks the quorum necessary to function.

Attorney General Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in filing the brief.