The ruling could pave way for a battle between Hampton Dellinger and Trump in the US Supreme Court
A judge has ruled in favor of a government watchdog whose job is to expose ‘unethical and unlawful practises’ federal employees, after President Donald Trump illegally fired him.
Hampton Dellinger’s firing as head of the Office of Special Counsel came straight from President Trump via email last month, part of his broader effort with Elon Musk to overhaul the US government by slashing thousands of jobs and dramatically reducing the federal wage bill. Notably, Musk, Trump’s close ally, is leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—despite never being elected by the public.
However, the duo hit a legal snag on Saturday, March 1, when US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Dellinger’s dismissal was unlawful. In her ruling, she emphasized the crucial role of the Special Counsel in investigating and exposing unethical or unlawful actions targeting federal employees. She also pointed out the importance of protecting whistleblowers who expose government fraud, waste, and abuse from facing retaliation. Jackson’s decision has cast a shadow over Trump and Musk’s government reform plans.
Judge Jackson’s ruling underscores the irony and potential harm in allowing a Special Counsel to be intimidated by the fear of arbitrary or politically motivated removal. Her decision has set the stage for what could become a significant showdown before the Supreme Court.
This legal dispute unfolds amid an escalating tension sparked by Musk’s recent email to all federal employees on February 22. The SpaceX CEO demanded that they list five accomplishments from the previous week or risk being fired. When thousands of federal workers—including FBI agents—failed to comply, Musk blasted their alleged ‘incompetence’ and issued a stern warning: another failure to respond would lead to termination.
However, legal experts like R. Scott Oswald, the managing principal of The Employment Law Group, have raised serious concerns about Musk’s approach. According to Oswald, the major issue lies in the fact that the demand came from the Office of Personnel Management, not from employees’ direct supervisors. He pointed out, “Federal employees, like all workers, are obligated to follow lawful instructions from their supervisors. But these orders must come from someone within the supervisory chain, not an external office.” This misstep could add further complications to Musk’s push for government efficiency.
