Friday, September 18, 2020
A U.S. Census Bureau manager in Illinois instructed employees to start layoffs two weeks after a federal judge prohibited the agency from winding down the 2020 census.
The manager can be heard giving the order in the audio of a conversation obtained by The Associated Press.
During a conference call Thursday, the Chicago area manager told supervisors reporting to him that they should track down census takers under them who don’t have any cases, collect the iPhones they use to record information, and lay them off. It’s unclear whether such actions would violate the judge’s order.
The manager didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
Full disclosure: WTAX’s Len Rideout, who posted this story, also does part-time work in the Springfield Census Office.