Keith Sonderling

abuse-of-office · 2025-04-04 · After being designated Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) pursuant to a Trump executive order targeting the agency, Sonderling fired all 23 members of the National Museum and Library Services Board and moved to terminate IMLS staff, grants and contracts. The American Library Association and AFSCME sued him in his official capacity (ALA v. Sonderling, D.D.C.) seeking to block the dismantling, arguing the actions exceeded statutory authority under the Museum and Library Services Act and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring further dissolution actions, layoffs, or grant terminations, but later denied a preliminary injunction, finding plaintiffs had not shown a substantial likelihood of success on the merits. In a parallel case (Rhode Island v. Trump), a different federal judge found the administration's actions to be unconstitutional overreach and a violation of the APA, ordering grants processed and employees reinstated. On April 9, 2026, the parties in ALA v. Sonderling signed a settlement agreement in which the federal government committed to continue IMLS operations per its congressional mandate, reinstate terminated grants nationwide, reverse staff reductions, and refrain from further steps to implement the executive order; the case was then voluntarily dismissed. · Settlement agreement requiring reversal of agency dismantlement actions (reinstated grants, reversed layoffs, agency operations continued); case voluntarily dismissed. A parallel court separately found the underlying executive branch actions unconstitutional and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.

Sources: Publishers Weekly · Publishers Weekly · American Library Association · Democracy Forward