Photo: Jared Brosnan/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With hours left until a midnight deadline, a Boston federal judge temporarily blocked President Trump’s plan offering millions of federal employees a buyout deal.
The workers had been given until the end of Thursday to quit their jobs and retain pay and benefits through Sept., but U.S. District Judge Geroge O’Toole Jr. pushed that deadline back for at least another few days.
He granted the request for a temporary restraining the order after hearing arguments from three labor unions representing federal employees, who argued the plan is unlawful.
Judge O'Toole didn't weigh in on the plan's legality, but lawyers for both the unions and the Trump administration are now due back before the judge for a hearing Monday afternoon.
The deferred resignation plan has been orchestrated by Trump advisor Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency in the name of reducing the size of the federal workforce. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said more than 40,000 federal employees have already accepted the offer.
WBZ NewsRadio's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.