www.lesswrong.com/posts/ixp9oJXzjA9LrwiZo/you-yes-you-need-a-february-2020-check...
1 correction found
a civil service role, so no one could kick him out of it
Civil-service status does not make someone impossible to remove. Career federal employees have protections against political firing, but agencies can still remove or demote them for cause or unacceptable performance.
Full reasoning
This claim overstates what civil-service protections do. Anthony Fauci was a career federal official rather than a political appointee, but that does not mean "no one could kick him out of it."
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management explains that most federal agencies may "suspend, demote, furlough, or remove employees" under 5 U.S.C. chapter 75 for "such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service." OPM also says agencies may "demote, or remove employees" under 5 U.S.C. chapter 43 for "unacceptable performance." In other words, civil-service protections generally mean a president cannot simply fire a career official at will for political reasons; they do not make removal impossible.
So the absolute wording here is incorrect. A more accurate version would be that Fauci's career civil-service status gave him substantial procedural protections and insulated him from direct at-will political firing, not that nobody could remove him.
2 sources
- Employee Rights & Appeals | U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Most Federal agencies are authorized under 5 U.S.C. chapter 75 to suspend, demote, furlough, or remove employees for 'such cause as will promote the efficiency of the service.' ... Most Federal agencies are authorized under 5 U.S.C. chapter 43 to demote, or remove employees for 'unacceptable performance.'
- Can President Trump fire Dr. Fauci?
Technically, the president of the United States cannot directly fire Fauci... As a career federal employee... Fauci is protected by federal civil service regulations that shield him from being fired or demoted for political reasons.