The head of an independent whistleblower agency is ending his legal fight over President Donald Trump’s decision to fire him after a federal appeals court in Washington allowed the removal to take effect while he pressed his case.
Hampton Dellinger, who led the Office of Special Counsel, announced his decision in a statement on Thursday. He wrote that he disagreed with the latest order by the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit but “will abide by it.”
Dellinger said he was giving up the fight because he believed the court’s decision to side with the administration meant his odds of ultimately winning in the US Supreme Court were “long.” In the meantime, the job would be filled by someone “totally beholden to the president,” he said.
“The harm to the agency and those who rely on it caused by a Special Counsel who is not independent could be immediate, grievous, and, I fear, uncorrectable,” Dellinger wrote. His announcement was reported earlier by the Associated Press.
Spokespeople for the White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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