Attorney General Charity Clark has participated in securing a preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration concerning the dismissal of federal probationary employees. Clark joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general, under the leadership of Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, in the Maryland et al. v. USDA case. This lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for Maryland, accuses multiple federal agencies of unlawfully terminating federal probationary employees.
The preliminary injunction mandates the reinstatement of these employees in the plaintiff states and obligates 20 federal agencies to revert their actions while the case proceeds. It also requires adherence to lawful procedures in any future workforce reductions.
On March 6, 2025, Attorney General Clark, alongside the coalition, filed a lawsuit against various federal agencies, citing irreparable harm to Vermont and other states involved. Initially, a temporary restraining order was issued on March 14, 2025, affecting 18 federal agencies. This order was later extended to April 1 to prevent significant negative impacts on the plaintiff states and their employees.
This preliminary injunction extends the court's prior order to halt unlawful dismissals, ensuring employees regain their positions pending litigation. It explicitly restricts the implicated federal agencies from maintaining their alleged unlawful activities during the lawsuit.
Attorney General Clark's coalition includes the attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai‛i, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.