Federal judge rules Trump’s firing of head of special counsel was unlawful, will maintain his job

A federal district judge in Washington, D.C. has made a ruling that President Donald Trump’s firing of the head of the Office of Special Counsel was unlawful, resulting in the individual being able to remain in their position. This decision was made late on a Saturday evening, prompting the Trump administration to file a notice of appeal shortly after.

Hampton Dellinger, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden to lead the Office of Special Counsel, took legal action against the Trump administration after being fired on February 7th. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the D.C. District Court, stated in the filing that the court’s decision that Dellinger’s termination was “unlawful” aligns with Supreme Court precedent. The Trump administration wasted no time in filing an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit following this ruling.

The court’s ruling emphasized the importance of maintaining the independence of the Office of Special Counsel, as established by Congress and the President. Judge Jackson asserted that allowing the removal of restrictions on Dellinger’s position would jeopardize this fundamental aspect of the office.

As a result of the ruling, the defendants in the case, including Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget Russ Vought and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, were ordered to acknowledge Dellinger’s continued role. However, President Trump was not directly enjoined by the court.

The decision from Judge Jackson came after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened to halt the Trump administration’s attempts to dismiss Dellinger. The administration had sought the high court’s assistance in overturning a lower court’s temporary reinstatement of Dellinger.

This situation is rapidly evolving, and updates are expected to follow. Stay tuned for the latest developments.

Author: Haley Chi-Sing is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. Connect with her on Twitter at @haleychising.