U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, defended a federal worker who was given notice of her planned firing after a TV interview in early October.

Pressley sent a letter on Thursday evening to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, saying that the agency retaliated against the federal worker’s free speech rights. She is demanding the woman’s job be reinstated.

“I am writing to urge you to immediately rescind the Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee and my constituent, Ellen Mei,” Pressley’s letter states, adding that Mei appeared in a media interview “in her personal capacity.”

Pressley called Mei’s termination notice unlawful and retaliatory after Mei warned the public about the administration’s cuts to food be

See Full Page