Employees of the United States's spy agencies are the latest government workers confirmed to have been extended mass buyout offers.
The move is part of a broader plan by President Donald Trump to reshape the federal government.
Here's what we know.
What's happened?
The US government has sent buyout offers to the employees of at least five of its intelligence agencies.
A buyout, also known as voluntary severance, is where an employee receives some benefits, such as pay for a period of time, in exchange for agreeing to resign.
The Central Intelligence Agency late on Tuesday said its entire workforce received buyout offers.
On Wednesday, spokespeople for a further four agencies confirmed buyout offers had also been extended to their workforces.
Those agencies were:
- US Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- National Security Agency
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- National Reconnaissance Office
The number of workers affected is not clear because the figures for the largest agencies are classified.
The three that disclose the data have about 19,500 staff.
Why is the Trump administration offering this?
The buyouts are part of a larger plan by Mr Trump to bring about a massive makeover of the US government.
The president says he wants to downsize the bureaucracy, but Democratic Party politicians fear he is implementing lay-offs to make room for hiring loyalists.
That plan was pitched in Project 2025.
Reuters cited a statement by a CIA spokesperson, who said the move was intended to align the agency with the goals of its newly minted director John Ratcliffe and Mr Trump's administration as a whole.
"Director Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration's national security priorities," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy."
Are other government departments affected?
Yes — almost every government worker has received a buyout offer.
Last week, about 2 million federal workers were offered an opportunity to stop work and receive pay and benefits through to September 30.
The buyout offer excluded only air traffic controllers and workers in some sensitive positions.
A shortage of air traffic controllers has led to flight delays and safety concerns, highlighted by last week's deadly crash in Washington DC that killed 67 people.
Federal agencies have been told to compile a list of those who have been hired within the last two years and lack full employment protection, making them easier to fire.
That amounts to roughly 13 per cent of the workforce, according to government figures.
Mr Trump has deputised billionaire Elon Musk to lead the overhaul, and the pair have already shuttered the nation's foreign aid agency, USAID.
That move sidelined hundreds of employees by placing them on administrative leave.
How many federal workers have taken the deal?
At least 20,000 so far, according to a White House source.
That's about 1 per cent of the government's 2.3 million civilian workers.
But that offer ends on Thursday.
The Trump administration sent a notice to federal workers on Tuesday, reminding them of the deadline and stressing there would not be any extensions.
Are the offers legal?
The unions representing federal government employees don't think so.
They filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to block the buyout offers, arguing that the Trump administration doesn't have the authority and can't guarantee the buyouts will be funded.
Union members have been warned the offer is not trustworthy, despite assurances from the government.
The White House argues the buyout is legal and completely voluntary, but has warned those who don't take the offer could be fired in a massive downsizing of many federal agencies.
Democrats have also blasted the federal government overhaul as illegal, saying it requires the permission of congress, because it controls government spending.
Representative Gerry Connolly led an effort to subpoena Mr Musk, but that was blocked by Republicans.
"Who is this unelected billionaire, that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies … without any congressional review, oversight or concurrence?" Mr Connolly said.
Mr Musk's sweeping measures to slash spending have also sparked protests in Washington DC, with demonstrators taking to the streets after he gained access to the Treasury's federal payments systems.
How could buyouts impact the spy agencies?
Some former intelligence officials are concerned the agencies could lose highly experienced staff and weaken intelligence collection and analysis.
They also warn that those who leave could be replaced by loyalists who fashion intelligence to bolster Mr Trump's views and policies.
"I am deeply concerned that my colleagues didn't have the spine to stand up to this," said a former senior intelligence official, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive matters, according to Reuters.
The former official added that many intelligence officers who had developed expertise over years "could now be replaced by those who don't have that background".
ABC/Reuters
