Nathaniel Segal, a former Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, is under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly falsifying documents to take advantage of Elon Musk’s “Fork in the Road” buyout program. This initiative offers federal employees financial incentives of up to $200,000 if they voluntarily resign, but Segal’s involvement has raised serious legal and ethical questions.
The investigation is examining whether high-ranking officials, including Harris and former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan, orchestrated Segal’s sudden appointment to the FTC just days before President Trump’s inauguration. The move appears to have been an effort to bypass federal personnel and ethics regulations, allowing Segal to be classified as a non-political career employee rather than a political appointee. This classification would have shielded him from dismissal under the incoming administration, potentially allowing him to remain in the federal workforce indefinitely.
Records show that Segal was hired at the FTC on January 18, 2025—just two days before Trump took office. His hiring reportedly skipped standard procedures, with key employment documentation missing. Despite these irregularities, Khan allegedly directed that Segal be placed on the payroll as a tenured employee, making it significantly harder for the new administration to remove him.
As the scheme began to unravel in mid-February, Segal allegedly attempted to secure the Deferred Resignation Program buyout by submitting falsified documents. Reports indicate he was not originally eligible for the program, having missed the application deadline and never receiving an official offer. If true, this could amount to fraud, as the program is designed for longtime federal employees, not last-minute political appointees attempting to game the system.
The DOJ has launched a full-scale investigation after receiving a criminal referral from the FTC detailing Segal’s alleged misconduct. So far, Segal has refused to respond to inquiries regarding the accusations.
