Trump Asks Supreme Court to Reinstate Power to Fire Whistleblower Watchdog

The administration challenges a federal court ruling that temporarily reinstated the head of the Office of Special Counsel, citing constitutional concerns over presidential authority.

The Trump administration has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn a federal court's temporary reinstatement of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
Dellinger, appointed by President Biden in 2023 for a five-year term, was dismissed on February 7 without any stated cause, violating statutory protections requiring removal only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent agency tasked with protecting whistleblowers and enforcing civil service laws, with Congress intending to shield it from political interference.
The administration argues that the federal court's ruling undermines presidential authority and violates the separation of powers, while critics warn that overturning it could jeopardize the independence of other federal agencies.
The Supreme Court's decision on this emergency appeal could have far-reaching implications for the balance of power between the executive branch and independent federal agencies.