Trump Administration Appeals Supreme Court on Whistleblower Agency Firing

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The Trump administration has filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal judge's reinstatement of Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), following his dismissal. According to Dellinger, his firing was executed without just cause and was unlawful, as it was communicated via a brief email. The OSC, an independent agency, is established to protect whistleblowers and enforce nonpartisan conduct in federal programs under the Hatch Act.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson previously ruled that the OSC’s independence is safeguarded by the 1978 law, insisting that agency heads can only be removed for solid reasons such as inefficiency or misconduct. The Trump administration argues that allowing Judicial reinstatement threatens presidential power, claiming no court has historically mandated a president to retain an agency head. Legal experts have indicated that a ruling favoring the Trump administration could overturn long-standing precedents concerning the independence of federal watchdogs. The Supreme Court is expected to address the case after the Presidents’ Day holiday.

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