Judge Blocks Trump’s Firing of Head of Office of Special Counsel

The DOJ has filed a notice of appeal and is seeking a stay on the court order.

Special counsel of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger poses for a portrait in an undated handout image. U.S. Office of Special Counsel/Handout via Reuters

A federal judge has ruled against President Donald Trump’s firing of Hampton Dellinger, head of a federal watchdog agency, in the first ruling on a case that will test the scope of presidential power, after the Trump administration’s petition to the Supreme Court to fast-track the case was knocked back.

Washington-based U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in her March 1 order that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the listed defendants “must recognize plaintiff’s title and position as Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel; they must not obstruct or interfere with his performance of his duties; they must not deny him the authority, benefits, or resources of his office” unless he is lawfully removed from office.