Some of the plaintiffs confronted the CIA’s attorneys and said they should be ashamed of themselves, Grumbach added.
“That was sick,” one man said.
“You are really disgusting,” another said.
Kevin Carroll, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said he respects the court’s decision, and will be considering next steps with his plaintiffs, Grumbach reported.
The Justice Department argued last week that a judge could not block because U.S. spy chiefs have the power to terminate them.
Congress vested CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, with the authority to fire personnel when they deem it "necessary or advisable" in the national interest, the Justice Department said in a brief filed in federal court in Virginia.