(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge ruled that the head of an independent US agency that protects government whistleblowers was unlawfully fired last month by President Donald Trump, even as the White House aims to get the case on a fast-track to the Supreme Court.

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US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Saturday entered judgment in favor of Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, and issued a permanent injunction barring his dismissal or recognition of any attempted replacement.

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Congress “took pains” to insulate the role “to some degree” from the president when the position was created, the Washington-based judge said in her written opinion. Giving a president the power to fire the special counsel without cause would amount to “a constitutional license to bully officials in the executive branch into doing his will,” Jackson said.

The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal shortly after the ruling was handed down.

Trump fired Dellinger without explanation on Feb. 7 even though the law that created his job specified he can only be dismissed for cause, such as negligence. The legal fight with Dellinger...

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