Trump’s “Fork Directive” Buyout Plan Hits Legal Speedbump as Judge Plays Spoilsport
Judge pauses Trump's plan to pay federal employees for doing nothing—at least until Monday.
A federal judge in Boston has paused the Trump administration’s highly controversial “Fork Directive” buyout offer for federal employees—just 11 hours before the deadline.
Judge George O’Toole Jr. wielded the judicial equivalent of a traffic cop’s whistle, issuing an injunction that halts the mass exodus of federal employees until at least Monday when he will entertain arguments over whether the plan is, you know, actually legal.
The directive, already accepted by over 60,000 employees (or about 3% of the federal workforce), promises workers a cushy deferred resignation—meaning they’d get paid, with benefits, until September without actually working. It is a dream for some, a logistical nightmare for others, and a plot twist for taxpayers who suddenly find themselves bankrolling a government workforce that exists in name only.
A Deal Too Good to Be True?
Unions representing federal employees weren’t exactly thrilled with the Fork Directive. In a lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), they argued that the offer was about as solid as a cryptocurrency whitepaper.
According to the complaint, the buyout lacks “basic information”—like whether OPM has actual money to pull this off. The lawsuit essentially boils down to a simple question: Can the government really afford to pay thousands of employees not to work, given that Congress has appropriated exactly $0 for this grand gesture?
Adding to the intrigue, the directive also comes with a veiled threat—refuse to resign, and you might just lose your job later. Ah, the classic “quit now or regret it later” approach, straight out of the corporate layoffs playbook.
The Bureaucracy Fights Back
The lawsuit demands that O’Toole not only declare the offer illegal but also send it back to OPM with a stern note saying, “Try again, but this time, make it legal.” The unions also want the deadline extended indefinitely, presumably so federal employees can ponder their life choices at a more leisurely pace.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration had sent out a mass email earlier on Thursday, emphasizing that the deadline would not be extended beyond 11:59 p.m. ET. It’s unclear if they accounted for the possibility of a judge stepping in with a judicial timeout.
Monday: The Next Episode
For now, federal employees who were planning to submit their resignations can breathe a sigh of relief—or frustration, depending on how much they were banking on the idea of getting paid for doing absolutely nothing.
All eyes are now on Monday’s hearing, where Judge O’Toole will decide if the Fork Directive is a legitimate stroke of genius or just another messy attempt at draining the swamp—by paying the alligators to leave.