Head of the agency that protects whistleblowers sues Trump, saying his firing was illegal
The head of the federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers has filed a lawsuit saying he was illegally fired by President Donald Trump
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The head of the Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers, sued President Donald Trump on Monday, saying he was illegally fired as part of the president’s massive overhaul of the government.
Hampton Dellinger was informed of his firing in an email Friday evening from the White House personnel director, who said he was writing on behalf of the president. Dellinger's termination comes as Trump's Republican administration is testing the limits of well-established civil service protections by moving to dismantle federal agencies and push out staffers
Dellinger notes in his lawsuit, filed in Washington federal court, that special counsels can be removed by the president “only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Dellinger was confirmed last year by the Senate for a five-year term to lead the watchdog agency.
"The effort to remove me has no factual nor legal basis — none — which means it is illegal,” Dellinger said in an email.
The Office of Special Counsel is responsible for enforcing laws related to federal employees, including the Hatch Act, which restricts the partisan political activities of government workers. Dellinger's firing comes as Trump administration employees have touted their support on social media for his policies even though the Hatch Act is meant to restrict political advocacy while on duty.
The independent agency is separate from Justice Department special counsels, who are appointed by the attorney general for specific investigations, like Jack Smith.
Before becoming special counsel, Dellinger served as an assistant attorney general in the Biden administration Justice Department overseeing its Office of Legal Policy. He was also a deputy attorney general in the North Carolina Department of Justice and was chief legal counsel in the governor’s office there.
Dellinger is the son of Walter Dellinger, an esteemed attorney who died in 2022. The elder Dellinger led the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in the Clinton administration and served as acting U.S. solicitor general.