"More than a hundred and fifty staff members at the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the agency's head, Lee Zeldin, outlining their concerns about his leadership. Topping the list was Zeldin's naked partisanship. The administrator often used his official communications to trash Democrats, undermining trust in the agency."
"The employees who signed the letter did not expect it to have much effect. One told me, 'I thought, Here's a letter the staff is going to present to the administrator... and we will go on with our work.'"
"Zeldin, or at least his deputies, launched the electronic equivalent of a manhunt. A lawyer at the E.P.A.'s Office of General Counsel told colleagues that the letter raised no ethical concerns, as the signatories were 'simply exercising their first amendment right to express their opinions.'"
"Despite the legal counsel's warning against retaliatory action, the agency kept up the pressure, soon announcing that it was placing a hundred and forty-four of the signatories on administrative leave."
The Environmental Protection Agency has seen significant internal conflict regarding its leadership under Lee Zeldin. Over 150 staff members expressed concerns about his partisanship and the erosion of trust in the agency. They criticized the gutting of the research division and the dismissal of scientific findings. Despite expectations of inaction, Zeldin's administration responded with scrutiny of the letter's signatories, leading to administrative leave for many involved. Legal counsel indicated that the employees were exercising their First Amendment rights, yet the agency continued to exert pressure on them.
Read at The New Yorker
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