Federal Judge Temporarily Extends Block on Trump's Firing of Whistleblower Office Chief

The court order keeps Hampton Dellinger in his role as head of the Office of Special Counsel until March 1, as legal battles over his dismissal intensify.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson extended a restraining order preventing President Trump from firing Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, through March 1 to allow time for further legal review.
Dellinger, appointed by President Biden to a five-year term, was dismissed via email on February 7 without cause, prompting him to sue the Trump administration for violating statutory removal protections.
The Office of Special Counsel, tasked with protecting whistleblowers and enforcing the Hatch Act, is at the center of a broader debate over the president's authority to remove officials from independent federal agencies.
The Justice Department argues that Dellinger's role involves core executive functions, making him subject to the president's authority, while Dellinger's lawyers contend that his removal is unlawful without cause as mandated by Congress.
The case is expected to reach the Supreme Court and could set a precedent on the limits of presidential power over independent agency leadership.