WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired the federal government’s top ethics official as well as the leader of the agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers — the latest moves by the Republican to push out officials in his quest to overhaul the government.
Hampton Dellinger filed a lawsuit Monday claiming he was illegally removed as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which is responsible for protecting the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions, such as retaliation for whistleblowing. Also on Monday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics posted on its website that Trump had removed its director, David Huitema.
Dellinger and Huitema were both confirmed by the Senate last year to serve five-year terms. Their removal comes as Trump is testing the limits of well-established civil service protections by moving to dismantle federal agencies and push out staffers.
Huitema said he was notified in an email of his removal over the weekend with no explanation. In an interview, he said he was “extremely disappointed,” adding that he was committed to the mission of the office and its staff “who represent the best of public service.”
Dellinger was fired in a Friday evening email from the White House personnel director. Dellinger noted in his lawsuit, filed in Washington federal court, that special counsels can be removed by the president “only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Dellinger was also confirmed last year by the...
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