A federal judge ordered the head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to be reinstated after he was fired by the Trump administration last week.
Hampton Dellinger sued President Donald Trump on Monday, saying he was illegally dismissed as part of the administration's house-cleaning and argued that special counsels can be removed by the president "only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office."
"That email made no attempt to comply with the Special Counsel's for-cause removal protection," Dellinger's lawsuit read. "It stated simply: 'On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Special Counsel of the US Office of Special Counsel is terminated, effective immediately.'"
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Dellinger must be permitted to serve as special counsel through midnight on Thursday while she considers his request for a temporary restraining order. The judge said the Trump administration cannot "deny him access to the resources or materials of that office or recognize the authority of any other person as Special Counsel."
"I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue leading the Office of Special Counsel and I am resuming my work tonight," Dellinger said in a statement.
Dellinger was nominated by former President Joe Biden in 2023 and confirmed in 2024 to lead the OSC, an agency that was established in 1989 and tasked with overseeing enforcement of the Whistleblower Protection Act and, later, the Hatch Act – a federal law that prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch from engaging in certain political activities, including taking active parts in campaigns.
Dellinger had come under fire from Republicans due to his connections with Hunter Biden; the two attorneys worked in the Washington D.C., offices of Boies Schiller Flexner.
In an executive order issued Monday night, Trump designated recently confirmed Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins as the new acting leader of the Office of Special Counsel and Office of Government Ethics. It's unclear how the recent orders by Judge Berman Jackson will affect Collins assuming responsibilities of both agencies.
Newsmax reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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