Federal Judge Blocks Partisan Email Edits Amidst Government Shutdown

In a critical ruling on Friday, a federal judge declared that the Trump administration's alteration of furloughed U.S. Department of Education employees' out-of-office emails violated free-speech rights. The emails reportedly blamed 'Democrat Senators' for the ongoing government shutdown, a move the judge found to be partisan.

Delivering the verdict, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper emphasized the importance of nonpartisanship in government service. Judge Cooper, appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, asserted that using civil servants' email accounts to disseminate political blame compromised their impartiality.

The American Federation of Government Employees filed the lawsuit, prompting the judge to order the removal of the partisan message from the emails. The ruling comes amidst a record-breaking government shutdown with widespread impact, as Democrats and the administration clash over budget allocations.