17th February 2025 – (Washington) The Trump administration has filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court, requesting permission to dismiss Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency tasked with protecting whistleblowers. This marks the first appeal to the nation’s highest court since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, signalling what is likely to be a series of legal challenges aimed at advancing his second-term agenda by overturning lower court rulings.
The Justice Department’s filing, obtained by the Associated Press, asks the conservative-leaning Supreme Court to overturn a judge’s temporary order reinstating Dellinger to his position. Appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2024 for a five-year term, Dellinger has argued that he can only be removed for cause, a standard not met in the email notifying him of his dismissal.
The appeal follows a decision by a divided appellate court panel, which declined to lift the lower court’s reinstatement order on procedural grounds. The temporary order remains in effect until 26th February while the judge considers the case. The Supreme Court is not expected to act on the matter until after the Presidents’ Day holiday, with a decision possible as early as Tuesday.
The administration contends that the reinstatement order improperly interferes with executive authority, citing a prior Supreme Court decision that affirmed broad presidential powers. Trump’s legal team...
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