The Body Count -- Ronald Sanders

A Reoccurring Feature on Who's Jumping Off Luxury Liner Trump

Ronald Sanders, the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Salary Council, a key advisory council on the civil service, has resigned over a Trump executive order to strip away protections against political interference in hiring and firing for a large portion of the career federal workforce.

Sanders said in his letter of resignation that the president's order “is nothing more than a smoke screen for what is clearly an attempt to require the political loyalty of those who advise the President, or failing that, to enable their removal with little if any due process.”

“I simply cannot be part of an Administration that seeks ... to replace apolitical expertise with political obeisance. Career Federal employees are legally and duty-bound to be nonpartisan; they take an oath to preserve and protect our Constitution and the rule of law ... not to be loyal to a particular President or Administration,” he wrote.