The fallout continues more than a week after three senior Interior Department officials were placed on administrative leave following a standoff with members of the Elon Musk-led downsizing team over access to a federal payroll system database.
Tony Irish, an Interior associate solicitor for the Division of General Law, is fighting efforts initiated by a senior agency official to fire him after the lawyer and at least two top Interior IT officials resisted attempts by agency employees affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency to access a payroll system, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
The “deciding official” who will determine the merits of Irish’s proposed dismissal is JoDee Hanson, a top aide to the Interior secretary, according to documents released Tuesday by the watchdog group, which is representing Irish.
Meanwhile, the two IT officials who were also involved in the flap with DOGE accepted the latest “Fork in the Road” offer last week and resigned from the agency prior to disciplinary action against them, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
