US judge declares Trump's firing of watchdog agency head illegal

2/3/2025 12:53

A U.S. judge on Saturday declared President Donald Trump's firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency illegal in an early test of the scope of presidential power likely to be decided at the U.S. Supreme Court.



U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington had previously ruled Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel who is responsible for protecting whistleblowers, could remain in his post pending a ruling.



Jackson said in her ruling Saturday that upholding Trump's ability to fire Dellinger would give him "a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will."



The Justice Department filed a notice late on Saturday saying they were appealing Berman's ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Dellinger, who was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden and approved by the Senate to a five-year term last year, said in an email to Reuters he is "grateful to see the court confirm the importance and legality of the job protections Congress afforded my position."



He added his "efforts to protect federal employees generally, and whistleblowers in particular, from unlawful treatment will continue."



Lawyers for the Trump administration have argued that the order keeping Dellinger in place is an encroachment on Trump's authority over officials serving in his administration.