Topic: US News
by MPeriod
Posted 9 months ago
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that President Donald Trump’s attempt to remove Hampton Dellinger from the Office of Special Counsel was unlawful. This decision is expected to lead to a possible appeal to the Supreme Court.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson emphasized the importance of the Special Counsel's role, stating, “The Special Counsel’s job is to look into and expose unethical or unlawful practices directed at federal civil servants.” She noted that allowing arbitrary removal could undermine the office’s effectiveness in protecting whistleblowers.
Last month, Trump fired Dellinger via email while implementing cuts to the federal workforce, which included the dismissal of other government watchdogs. Dellinger contested his termination, citing a federal law stating that special counsels can only be removed under specific circumstances.
Dellinger’s lawsuit highlighted the lack of justification in Trump’s email termination, which merely stated his position was “terminated, effective immediately.” Following this, Judge Jackson issued a stay to prevent Dellinger’s removal while the case was ongoing.
After a lower court sided with Dellinger, the Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which upheld the ruling with a 2-1 vote. The Justice Department argued that preventing Trump from managing the executive branch could harm the presidency.
Dellinger, appointed by President Joe Biden in March 2024, is responsible for protecting federal employees from illegal practices, including retaliatory actions against whistleblowers. He expressed concerns over the independence of his position, stating that fear of arbitrary removal would discourage federal employees from coming forward.
The White House has not commented yet, but the Trump administration has filed a notice of appeal following the judge’s ruling.