Headline Roundup • February 12th, 2025
Judge Allows Trump's Federal Worker Buyout to Proceed
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Wednesday evening, a judge ruled that President Donald Trump may proceed with his offer to give federal employees eight months of pay and benefits if they resign.
The Details: U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the White House in the lawsuit brought by Democracy Forward on behalf of labor unions. Follow this page for more about Trump's latest cuts to the federal government.
Key Quotes: O'Toole wrote in his decision that the plaintiffs in the case "are not directly impacted by the directive." In a statement, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley said, “Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it’s not the end of that fight. Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program.”
How The Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum framed the ruling as a significant legal victory for Trump's agenda.
Featured Coverage of this Story
A federal judge on Wednesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump ’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program.
It was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after a string of courtroom setbacks.
STEFANI REYNOLDS/BLOOMBERG NEWS
A federal judge on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its buyout offer that encourages federal workers to voluntarily resign, rejecting an attempt by labor unions to pause a program meant to shrink the government workforce.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Massachusetts lifted a previous temporary order that blocked the buyout while he considered arguments by unions challenging it.
Getty Images
A federal judge restored President Donald Trump's deferred resignation program for federal workers in a decision on Wednesday.
The deferred resignation program, also known as the administration's "fork in the road" offer, involved asking government workers to either stay or leave after Trump mandated them to return to their offices shortly after his inauguration. The legal group Democracy Forward had filed a lawsuit over the program on behalf of labor unions that represent thousands of employees.
U.S. District Judge George O’Toole of Massachusetts made the ruling in favor of the White House on Wednesday evening. In...
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