Ellison urged federal employees in Minnesota to be cautious, saying, "the benefits being offered are not guaranteed."

Ellison Joins Other State Attorneys General Warning About Federal Employee Buyouts

Ellison urged federal employees in Minnesota to be cautious, saying, "the benefits being offered are not guaranteed."

ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and attorneys general from 11 other states warned federal workers to be cautious about the Trump Administration's recent buyout offer.

On Jan. 28, the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sent a message to federal employees offering a "deferred resignation" with pay and benefits through Sept. 30. Federal workers have until Feb. 6 to decide whether to accept the offer or be subject to the administration's future mandates for federal jobs, including returning to the office full time.

However, the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union for federal workers in the U.S., warned its members that accepting the offer does not guarantee that they will receive the benefits.

"I urge Minnesotans who work for the federal government to be extremely cautious when it comes to the Trump Administration's buyout offer," Ellison said in a news release. "The benefits being offered are not guaranteed. Furthermore, this buyout is being offered by someone with contempt for much of the important work our federal government does and for the people who do it. I recommend federal employees listen to the guidance of their unions, whose job it is to protect the rights and economic well-being of their members."

Ellison is joined in the warning by the attorneys general of New York, Hawaii, New Jersey Connecticut, Vermont, Washington, Michigan, Arizona, Maryland, California, and Delaware.

The federal government employs more than 3 million people, according to the latest data from November 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

SOURCE: KARE 11