Head of Federal Agency Taken Over by Elon Musk's DOGE Rejects Trump 'Buyout,' Decides to Resign Outright

The administrator in charge of White House tech has announced his resignation, while rejecting the controversial "Fork in the Road" deferred resignation offer pushed by the Trump administration.

Ted Carstensen served as deputy administrator of the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), the department recently rebranded as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His departure comes amid growing turmoil at the agency.

In an internal memo obtained by The Verge, Carstensen told colleagues that while he remained committed to the agency's mission, he had decided to "pursue a different path." He also confirmed that he had no direct communication with Musk or his incoming DOGE team, which has been rapidly asserting control over federal digital operations.

USDS employees have been left in limbo as the organization is moved from the Office of Management and Budget to the Executive Office of the President. The transition has sparked confusion and pushback, with reports of employees being forced to abandon key communication tools like Slack and being told to expect new government-issued devices and email accounts.

Moments after Carstensen's resignation, a federal judge ordered a delay on the "Fork in the Road" resignation deadline, which had been set for Thursday, pushing it to after a February 10 hearing on the legality of the offer.

Carstensen's departure marks the latest sign of resistance within federal agencies as Trump and Musk's team attempt to remake government operations under DOGE. Whether more senior officials will follow his lead remains to be seen.

Originally published by Latin Times.