Dear Friends and Colleagues,
On May 5, 2026, I was separated from the Foreign Service with 19 years and 3 months of service, including overseas assignments in Moldova, Chile, Pakistan, and Ukraine.
I am challenging this action in an effort to reach the 20-year service threshold needed to qualify for retirement benefits (a pension and - perhaps more importantly - retention of the Federal Employee Health Benefits for me and my family).
I have retained legal counsel to represent me before the Merit Systems Protection Board, a quasi-judicial administrative body whose mission is to protect federal employees from abuses by agency management and partisan politics. Their review argues that the Agency’s decision and the manner in which they conducted the so-called Reduction-in-Force was arbitrary and capricious. This situation is unprecedented, and the clearest path to justice is through the MSPB’s administrative appeal process—before any higher judicial review is possible.
A favorable ruling could restore my eligibility for pension and FEHB health insurance benefits, even if I do not return to the Department.
We will also be seeking restitution of legal fees accrued. There is no guarantee that you would get any money back, but if the court awards it, you would.
We filed the appeal to the MSPB on May 7 and are now embarked on a journey that is likely to last a year or more, given the current backlog of cases facing the Board.
I’m asking for contributions to help defray these legal expenses and hold the Agency to account. The law firm has already lowered their fees by 50%, and I do not want their hands to be tied due to my budgetary constraints. I'd be happy to share with you the details of the case.
Any amount helps—and your support sends a powerful message that fairness and due process still matter.
Thank you for standing with me.
Warmly,
Jed Wolfington
