WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. judge on Monday ordered the fired head of the federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers to be reinstated while a court fight continues over his removal by President Donald Trump.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson’s order came hours after Hampton Dellinger sued the Republican president over his removal as the leader of the Office of Special Counsel, which is responsible for guarding the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions, such as retaliation for whistleblowing.
The judge said Dellinger must be allowed to serve as special counsel through midnight on Thursday while she considers his request for a temporary restraining order to keep him in the job. She said the Trump administration cannot “deny him access to the resources or materials of that office or recognize the authority of any other person as Special Counsel.”
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue leading the Office of Special Counsel and I am resuming my work tonight,” Dellinger in an email after the ruling.
The Trump administration swiftly filed court papers saying it was appealing the judge’s order.
His firing was the latest move in Trump’s sweeping effort to shrink and reshape the federal government, testing the limits of well-established civil service protections by moving to dismantle federal agencies and push out staffers.
Also on Monday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics posted on its website that Trump had removed its director, David...
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