"New documents shed light on how much the Interior Department spent last year paying staffers not to work — from just one office."

"The Department of the Interior spent more than $150 million on administrative leave for employees working in the secretary’s office last year.

New records obtained by POLITICO shed light on the cost of the “deferred resignation” program and other initiatives by President Donald Trump to downsize the federal workforce at the department. When Trump swept into office in 2025, his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by tech mogul Elon Musk, sought to use Silicon Valley-style tactics to make quick cuts to the federal workforce.

Close to 1,500 staffers, most of them senior level, who left the Office of the Secretary in 2025 were paid not to work for days — even months — after agreeing to resign later."

Kevin Bogardus and Ian M. Stevenson report for E&E News August 20, 2026. [2]