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GSA shutting down 18F was ‘retaliation’ by DOGE, former staff claim in appeal for their jobs back | Federal News Network
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Tangentially relevant to AI safety governance as 18F supported federal digital infrastructure; the politically motivated dismantling of government tech capacity could affect federal AI oversight and modernization efforts.
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Importance: 22/100news articlenews
Summary
Former employees of 18F, a government digital services unit within the GSA, allege that its shutdown by DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) constituted illegal retaliation, and are appealing to get their jobs back. The team had reportedly worked on technology modernization and digital services for federal agencies. The case raises questions about the politically motivated dismantling of federal tech capacity.
Key Points
- •Former 18F employees claim GSA's shutdown of the digital services unit was retaliatory action by DOGE, not a legitimate cost-cutting measure.
- •18F was a federal tech modernization team that helped agencies build and improve digital services and software.
- •Staff are filing appeals to challenge their terminations and seek reinstatement, arguing the closure was improper.
- •The shutdown is part of broader DOGE-driven reductions across federal agencies that critics say target effective government functions.
- •The case highlights tensions between efficiency-driven federal workforce reductions and the legal protections afforded to government employees.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| US Government Technology Workforce | Analysis | -- |
1 FactBase fact citing this source
| Entity | Property | Value | As Of |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18F | key-event | 80 former employees filed class-action appeal with MSPB | May 2025 |
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GSA shutting down 18F was ‘retaliation’ by DOGE, former staff claim in appeal for their jobs back | Federal News Network
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Workforce
GSA shutting down 18F was ‘retaliation’ by DOGE, former staff claim in appeal for their jobs back
Former 18F staff say DOGE can’t justify eliminating their jobs, because GSA is actually losing money without them.
Jory Heckman @jheckmanWFED
May 28, 2025 6:36 pm
3 min read
Federal tech workers recently fired from the General Services Administration’s 18F tech shop are appealing their removal, arguing that the Trump administration didn’t follow legal requirements when carrying out the workforce cuts.
A group of 80 former 18F employees filed a class-action appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board on Wednesday.
The appeal states 18F employees were “unlawfully targeted” by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, when GSA shuttered 18F on Feb. 28 and fired all its employees, and that the Trump administration didn’t follow reduction-in-force (RIF) requirements.
Former 18F employees said they were a target for “retaliation” over their political beliefs; work that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion; and “whistleblowing about DOGE’s improper access to systems and personnel and influence over GSA management.”
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“GSA did not provide any reason for terminating all 18F staff,” the appeal states. “The RIF notices to all staff simply say their positions are being abolished. The abolition of 18F serves no purpose other than to terminate dedicated federal employees.”
Musk wrote on X in February that 18F “has been deleted,” in response to another post about its role in developing Direct File, the IRS’ free, online tax filing platform it launched last year. A few weeks later, GSA shut down 18F on Feb. 28 and sent RIF notices to all its employees.
The appeal states GSA and DOGE can’t justify the staffing cuts, because 18F charged other agencies fees for its services, and GSA is actually losing money without these technologists on the job.
According to the appeal, 18F charged agencies $250 an hour for its services and “generated millions of dollars in revenue.”
“GSA lost money and continues to do so because ongoing projects that involve 18F staff and those in the pipeline will not be maintained or completed. 18F’s work mostly paid for itself. GSA and the federal government
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