A legal dispute over the removal of Hampton Dellinger from the Office of Special Counsel escalated Saturday as a federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump lacked the authority to fire him without cause. The ruling orders Dellinger’s reinstatement — setting up the possibility of further appeals.
Dellinger, who was appointed under President Joe Biden, was dismissed on February 7 alongside other agency officials in a sweeping personnel shake-up. He quickly filed a lawsuit — arguing that the law governing his position grants him a five-year term and limits the president’s power to remove him. The statute specifies that termination is only allowed under certain conditions — such as incompetence or misconduct.
Obama appointee and shameless Trump hater Judge Amy Berman Jackson last night issued the order we all expected–she declared the president's firing of Hampton Dellinger, head of Office of Special Counsel, was unlawful. (Reading thru her accompanying 67-page opinion now) pic.twitter.com/u21A2kAQQN
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 2, 2025
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote that allowing the president to remove Dellinger without justification would contradict the intent of Congress in establishing the role’s independence. She further noted that Dellinger’s termination letter failed to cite any reason for his removal — which reinforced the argument that his firing was improper.
🚨JUST IN: The Judge in the Hampton Dellinger case ruled that President Trump’s firing of him was illegal. She declared firing illegal, and ordered Dellinger be reinstated as Special Counsel.
SCOTUS had already ruled with the two dissenting justices arguing reinstatement is… pic.twitter.com/TMJZB8ObKO
— Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) March 2, 2025
The judge’s order requires the Office of Management and Budget and the Treasury Department to acknowledge Dellinger’s reinstatement. While the ruling does not prevent Trump from continuing to pursue legal options — it significantly complicates his administration’s efforts to restructure the Office of Special Counsel.
Crooked Judge Amy Berman Jackson made the dumbest point in history about President Trump firing Hampton Dellinger, the crooked special counsel, "His actual job is to be a check and balance on the president."
Can someone remind this witch that the Executive Branch is checked by… pic.twitter.com/oQLNZIK1JM
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 26, 2025
The case has now moved to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Supreme Court — which previously opted not to take immediate action — is expected to reconsider the matter once the appellate court issues its decision.
This ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles over Trump’s efforts to remove Biden-era officials from independent agencies — raising questions about the extent of presidential authority in such cases.
