In a bombshell turn of events, the Central Intelligence Agency has offered to buy out its entire workforce as part of President Donald Trump’s sweeping initiative to streamline the bloated federal bureaucracy.
The shocking revelation dropped Tuesday, when the CIA became the first intelligence agency to allow employees to quit their jobs immediately in exchange for eight months of full pay and benefits.
The mass downsizing “is a bid to bring the agency in line with President Trump’s priorities, including targeting drug cartels,” officials told The Wall Street Journal.
The CIA buyout offer mirrors the federal civilian employee buyout proposal Trump made last month, which senior administration officials projected could ultimately save taxpayers $100 billion annually.
The resignation period began Jan. 28 and ends on Feb. 6.
In an email to federal civilian employees last week, the Office of Personnel Management suggested there’s no assurance that those who don’t resign won’t be laid off.
“If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce,” the OPM email read.
“At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated, you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.”
This sentiment was echoed in a Washington Post report late Tuesday.
“A supervisor in a government agency now run by allies of billionaire Elon Musk told staff early this week that layoffs across the federal government are ‘likely’ after Thursday’s deadline to accept the deferred resignation offer,” the outlet reported.
Hellbound and Down 