BOSTON—A group of unions representing federal civil servants filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on Nov. 6 over a proposed so-called “loyalty question” on hiring forms that would test fidelity to the Trump administration’s policy views.
The unions allege that one of four essay-response questions in the administration’s Merit Hiring Plan seeks to identify candidates’ political views during the hiring process, which it claims is impermissible by federal law. The question, as featured in the plaintiffs’ complaint, reads: “How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you and explain how you would help implement them if hired.”
