South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson urges Court to reject overreach by federal workforce against Trump order

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a coalition of attorneys general urging a federal court to reject a lawsuit that would dramatically impede on the President’s ability to oversee and manage the Executive Branch. 

The case, filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), seeks a court order that would halt federal workforce reforms across more than 20 agencies. The states argue that the request is an extreme overreach that would undermine the President’s constitutional authority to manage the Executive Branch. 

“This isn’t about real, urgent harm; this is about politics,” said Attorney General Wilson. “We cannot allow speculation or policy disagreements to tie the hands of the President, who was given a mandate by the American people to fix decades of federal inefficiency and mismanagement. This case protects the President’s ability to lead the federal government with efficiency. The Constitution prescribes that responsibility to the President; not the courts, and not outside interest groups.” 

The amicus brief argues that AFGE is unlikely to succeed because the Constitution clearly places federal personnel management within the President’s Article II powers. The brief also points to existing federal laws, including the Civil Service Reform Act, which already provides a clear process for addressing employment disputes, one that does not involve federal district courts.  

The attorneys general also argue that the plaintiffs haven’t shown the kind of serious and immediate harm that justifies emergency court intervention. They also emphasize that the alleged harm still tilts in favor of allowing the Trump administration to continue its work, and blocking reforms now would not only interfere with the President’s constitutional role but could also undermine public confidence in a government that’s already viewed by many as bloated and inefficient. 

In addition to South Carolina, attorneys general from the following states joined the brief: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. 

You can read the brief here.