Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger has decided to drop his lawsuit against his removal by Donald Trump, allowing Trump to appoint a new leader for the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Although a district judge had previously blocked Dellinger's sacking, the U.S. Court of Appeals permitted it during ongoing appeals. Dellinger expressed concern that this undermines independence in protecting federal employees from prohibited practices. Initially appointed by Biden in 2024, Dellinger's lawsuit claimed he could only be removed for specific reasons, but uncertainties surrounding the leadership of OSC have emerged after his termination notice in February.
This new ruling means that OSC will be run by someone totally beholden to the president for the months that would pass before I could get a final decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.
I think the circuit judges erred badly because their willingness to sign off on my ouster... immediately erases the independence Congress provided for my position.
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