Summary
A federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), citing a 1978 law that allows removal only for “inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.”
Judge Amy Berman Jackson reinstated Dellinger pending a February 26 hearing.
Dellinger called his firing illegal, saying, “The effort to remove me has no factual nor legal basis – none.”
The White House argues the law is unconstitutional, challenging limits on presidential power over independent agencies.
Multiple judges who have blocked Trump actions are Trump appointees.
Those judges aren’t on the Supreme Court (where this will eventually end up). Its the same as a Republican doing a performative protest vote against GOP legislation that goes through anyway. They get to save some face, but at the end of the day no harm no foul.