Trump's federal worker "buyout" program can proceed, judge rules
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President Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The pause on the Trump administration's deferred resignation program was lifted by a federal judge on Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's a win for President Trump as he pushes to overhaul the civil service and make large-scale cuts to the federal workforce.
Driving the news: U.S. District Judge George A. O'Toole wrote in his ruling that a lawsuit from the union challenging the program could not succeed because they lack standing and his court doesn't have jurisdiction.
- O'Toole had issued a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management last week to pause the program.
Context: The buyout deal was sent to all federal workers last month in an email entitled "A fork in the road," encouraging them to resign.
- The deal, conceived with Elon Musk's input, is a part of the Trump administration's broader purge of the federal workforce.
- Trump signed an executive order this week requiring federal agencies to work with the Musk-led DOGE to make "large-scale" workforce reductions.
Where it stands: Some 75,000 workers have taken the deal, the Office of Personnel Management said Wednesday evening.
- The deadline for workers to respond to the buyout deal had been extended while this case was in play.
- It's now unclear what the deadline is for workers to respond to the "buyout" offer.
- OPM told Axios a new deadline will be announced shortly.
What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement the Boston buyout ruling "is the first of many legal wins" for Trump.
- "The Court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing. This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities," she added.
- Office of Personnel Management spokesperson McLaurine Pinover said in a statement the OPM is "pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort" to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program.
- "This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures," Pinover said.
The other side: "Today's ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants," said Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, one of the plaintiffs in the suit.
- "But it's not the end of that fight. AFGE's lawyers are evaluating the decision and assessing next steps," Kelley added in a statement.
- Kelley noted that Wednesday's decision does not address "the underlying lawfulness of the program."
Go deeper: Trump orders "large-scale" cuts to federal workforce, gives DOGE more power
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
