Three former U.S. Department of Education secretaries and a federal employee union leader have formally requested an investigation into the agency’s recent workforce reductions. The group sent a letter Tuesday to acting inspector general Mark Priebe, asking for a review of potential fraud, waste, and abuse related to the mass firings.
The signatories included former Education Secretaries Arne Duncan, John B. King Jr., and Miguel Cardona. They were joined by Rachel Gittleman, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. The letter specifically asked Priebe to examine the financial costs associated with reinstating and rehiring hundreds of employees who were previously terminated.
The request follows a turbulent period for the department under President Donald Trump’s administration. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has led efforts to downsize the agency, which was established 46 years ago. The department announced a reduction in force in March 2025, following an executive order outlining the cuts.
Legal challenges delayed the implementation of the layoffs until early August 2025, when the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily approved the downsizing plan. Approximately 1,000 workers were terminated or forced into retirement that month. A subsequent attempt in October 2025 to fire nearly 500 additional employees was paused by courts and ultimately halted by Congress.
Democratic lawmakers joined union leaders at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to criticize the administration’s strategy. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, along with Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, spoke alongside Gittleman.
“We need a full picture of the fraud, waste and abuse carried out by this administration as they continue to play politics rather than doing their jobs to serve the American people,” Gittleman said.
Alsobrooks argued that the leadership has undermined the agency’s core purpose. “The Department of Education’s stated mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access – since day one, Secretary McMahon has done everything possible to cause this mission to fail,” she said.
The administration has also moved to transfer responsibilities away from the Education Department. Officials signed more than a dozen interagency agreements to shift duties to other federal agencies, including Health and Human Services, Labor, Interior, State, Justice, and Treasury.
Congressional committees have responded with legislative measures. In July 2025, a Senate education panel advanced a bipartisan bill designed to block interagency agreements that would transfer specific education programs, including those related to special education, elementary and secondary schooling, postsecondary education, and Native American education. Earlier that month, a House education panel advanced a separate package aimed at reducing the department’s overall responsibilities.
A spokesperson for the Education Department defended the actions taken by Secretary McMahon. The official criticized the former secretaries for past policy failures, including the Common Core initiative and issues with the FAFSA rollout. The spokesperson stated that the reduction in force was implemented in full compliance with existing regulations and laws.