Judge Extends the Preliminary Injunction on Buyouts

U.S. District Judge, George A. O’Toole Jr., said the pause would continue until he rules on a preliminary injunction on buyouts.

On Monday, the handpicked federal judge in Boston continued his pause on the Trump administration’s plan to get millions of federal workers to resign until he responded “to the issues presented.”

O’Toole had temporarily halted the administration’s plan to offer mass buyouts to millions of federal workers on Thursday, just hours before a deadline to accept the offer. After a hearing on Monday, he said the pause would continue until he rules on a preliminary injunction in the case.

I’m not a lawyer, but what right does a judge have to overrule the president? Buyouts are offered all the time, and unions remain silent. They don’t want cuts, and they are delaying the entire effort. They say they are worried staff are doing something in too much haste. Maybe they are concerned about the staff, and maybe not.

The government is too big and corrupt. It needs to be cut. It’s our last chance. Today, the polls say that Donald Trump has 55% approval.

NBC News

Elena Goldstein, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said, “We ask for more weeks … while this court considers the merits.”

Goldstein added, “The pressure that comes from that deadline where people have to make their choice about their livelihood. Irreparable harm will continue. They will be asking what they actually accepted. OPM is making it up as they go along.”

Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton argued that Trump “campaigned on reducing the federal workforce.”

The Trump administration “knew they’d come to a disappointment to a lot of the workforce….so this would be an offramp for those employees,” said Hamilton.

The unions called it an “unlawful ultimatum” and “sweeping and stunningly arbitrary action to solicit blanket resignations of federal workers.”

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