June saw a group of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff members sign a public "declaration of dissent" which criticized President Donald Trump's policies.

The Trump administration responded this past week by firing at least eight of the individuals who were involved. 

EPA spokeswoman slams open letter for containing "inaccurate information"

That's according to ABC News, which cited a statement regarding the matter which was released on Friday by EPA spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou.

"Following a thorough internal investigation, EPA supervisors made decisions on an individualized basis," Vaseliou was quoted as saying.

She asserted that the open letter "contains inaccurate information designed to mislead the public about agency business."

"Thankfully, this represents a small fraction of the thousands of hard-working, dedicated EPA employees who are not trying to mislead and scare the American public," Vaseliou continued.

"The EPA has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage and undercut the will of the American public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November,'' the spokeswoman added.

Union head says Trump administration is attacking "labor and free-speech rights"

ABC News noted how last week's firings came after some 139 FDA employees were placed on administrative leave for "unlawfully undermining" the Trump administration's agenda.

That move was denounced by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which is the union that represents EPA workers.

Justin Chen serves as president of AFGE Council 238, and he told the Associated Press, "The Trump administration and EPA’s retaliatory actions against these workers was clearly an assault on labor and free-speech rights."

Chen insisted that the suspended workers "live and work in communities around the country, and all believe in the mission of the agency to protect human health and the environment on behalf of the American public."

A dozen FEMA employees placed on leave after signing a similar letter

ABC News' report came just days after Fox News revealed that a dozen staffers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were placed on leave for signing a similar letter.

"It is not surprising that some of the same bureaucrats who presided over decades of inefficiency are now objecting to reform," a FEMA spokesperson told Fox News.

"Change is always hard," the spokesperson stressed before adding, "It is especially for those invested in the status quo, who have forgotten that their duty is to the American people, not entrenched bureaucracy."