Supreme Court Delays Decision on Trump’s Attempt to Remove Whistleblower Agency Head

The justices declined to act on President Trump's emergency request, leaving Hampton Dellinger temporarily reinstated as head of the Office of Special Counsel until February 26.

The Supreme Court issued a brief order declining to immediately intervene in President Trump's effort to fire Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel.
Dellinger, appointed by President Biden in 2024, was dismissed by the Trump administration on February 7 without citing the required legal grounds for removal.
A federal district court reinstated Dellinger temporarily with a restraining order, which was upheld by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, leading the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The dispute raises larger constitutional questions about presidential authority to remove agency heads with for-cause protections, which could have broader implications for independent federal agencies.
A hearing is scheduled for February 26 to consider a preliminary injunction, after which the Supreme Court may revisit the case.