When Ellen Mei, a 29-year-old program specialist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), sat down for a live interview with MSNBC on October 2, 2025, she says she was simply doing her duty—speaking up for her fellow federal workers and the millions of Americans depending on food assistance during the government shutdown. But what followed has turned her into the center of a heated debate over free speech, workers’ rights, and the consequences of public candor in government service.
Mei, based in Boston and also president of the National Treasury Employees Union’s Chapter 255, represents USDA employees across the Northeast. In her televised conversation, she didn’t mince words about the toll the shutdown was taking. "We’re anxious because we’re hearing about the [reduction in force] potentials and office closures that are looming over USDA as this shutdown drags on," she told MSNBC anchor Chris Jansing. Mei described a workplace clouded by uncertainty, where employees felt "angry at being treated as political pawns again so that billionaires can have more money," while the vulnerable populations they serve were left in limbo.
Mei’s concerns were not speculative. She warned that while all states were expected to issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in October, "things might get a little dicey if this drags on into November or even past that." She added, "For programs like WIC, it’s looking a lot more uncertain. It’s possible that they have funding for three days, maybe one week." At the time, her warnings echoed a USDA memo released on September 30, which stated that SNAP funding would lapse if the shutdown continued, forcing the Office of Management and Budget to dip into reserves after October. That memo, as reported by The Washington Post, was later scrubbed from the OMB’s website as legal battles over funding intensified.
Jansing made it clear on air that Mei was "not representing" the USDA but speaking for herself. Still, the very next day, Mei received notice from the Agriculture Department that her employment was being terminated for discussing USDA funding "without prior approval." According to documents reviewed by The Washington Post, the agency accused her of sharing information she was not authorized to disclose and declared her "unfit for further federal service." The process was set in motion for her removal 30 days after the shutdown’s end.
"On October 3rd, I got a notice from the agency saying that they wanted to fire me for my appearance on MSNBC," Mei recounted. "They said specifically that I was not authorized to speak on behalf of the agency and that I disclosed information that I was not authorized to disclose." She defended her actions, stating, "I have a duty as a chapter president to represent the views of my coworkers, and I have a duty and a right to do so under the federal labor management statute." According to The Washington Post, Mei insisted, "As I was and have been speaking in my personal capacity and in my capacity as union representative, I am not required to ask for permission to speak on behalf of me or my co-workers... Especially speaking on behalf of my co-workers as the union president, that is a right that I am granted by the Federal Labor Management statute. So I do not need to ask for permission."
Mei’s case has drawn national attention, especially among federal workers and union leaders. She has a track record of public advocacy, having previously given interviews to The Boston Globe and local radio station GBH, as well as issuing public statements in her union role. But she says the national spotlight of MSNBC made her a target for retaliation. "I was honestly really confused when I got that letter because I was replaying everything that I said in my head and trying to remember everything that I had read in preparation of going on the air on October 2nd," Mei told The Washington Post. She added that all the information she shared was already public, citing reports from The New York Times and NPR.
The USDA, however, maintained in their letter to Mei that "although you were not on duty at that time, the actions you took directly relate to your position because they involved programs under your official responsibilities." The department’s stance has sparked outrage among labor advocates. Chris Dols, co-executive director of the Federal Unionists Network, said, "This is about sounding the alarm to the public that this administration will stop at nothing. They will trot over the services we provide and the rights that we have as federal workers and as Americans."
Legal experts have weighed in, suggesting Mei has a strong case to contest her firing. Debra D’Agostino, a federal employment lawyer, told The Washington Post that Mei’s comments are protected free speech and align with the Whistleblower Protection Act. "Given that we’re talking about food for Americans, that is a pretty clean argument about a specific danger to public health," she explained. "I think [Mei] has a very clean argument this is a protected disclosure." According to documentation obtained by The Washington Post, Mei has 20 days from the government’s official reopening to appeal her termination.
The government shutdown, which lasted a record 43 days, finally ended on November 13, 2025, after President Donald Trump signed a funding bill. State leaders are now working to get full SNAP benefits to millions of people, though the Associated Press reports that some recipients could wait up to a week for delayed aid. In Boston and beyond, the impacts of the shutdown are still being felt—not just by those who rely on federal food assistance, but by the workers who administer these vital programs.
Mei is not backing down. She plans to appear at a news conference on November 14, 2025, alongside other unionized federal workers, to protest the USDA’s decision and raise awareness of what she and her supporters view as a dangerous precedent. "I want to get back to doing what my coworkers and I are supposed to be doing. That’s reducing hunger and increasing... food security in a manner that inspires public confidence. And I want to get back to doing that as soon as I can," she told MSNBC anchor Ana Cabrera. In the meantime, she’s working closely with her union lawyer and other legal experts to appeal the dismissal notice.
Beyond the particulars of Mei’s case, the situation has sparked a broader conversation about the rights of federal employees to speak out—especially when the stakes are as high as the nation’s food security. The Whistleblower Protection Act is designed to shield public servants who sound the alarm about government mismanagement or threats to public welfare. Yet, as this case shows, the line between "protected disclosure" and "unauthorized communication" can be a murky one, especially when politics and public service collide.
As Mei’s appeal process unfolds and union members rally in her support, the outcome could have far-reaching implications—not only for her own career but for the ability of federal workers everywhere to advocate for the people they serve without fear of retribution. For now, Mei waits, determined to return to the job she loves and to the mission she believes in: ensuring no American goes hungry, even in times of political crisis.
