Supreme Court dismisses efforts to reinstate watchdog chief as defunct
EMERGENCY DOCKET
The D.C. Dellinger was effectively removed by the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday. (Thomas Hawk via Flickr).
The Supreme Court rejected a request from the Trump administration on Thursday to lift an order of a federal court that instructed it to temporarily restore Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel. The justices dismissed the plea in a single sentence on Thursday afternoon. This means that the issue is no longer relevant. Dellinger said in a statement that his time as Special Counsel was over. Dellinger was appointed to serve a five-year term in 2024.
Dellinger was fired from his job in a Feb. 7 email that did not specify the reason for his dismissal. Dellinger went to Washington, D.C. federal court, where Jackson issued a temporary order on February 12 that restored him as head of the OSC up until Feb. 26.1001010The Trump Administration then went to the Supreme Court, requesting the justices block Jackson’s decision. The Supreme Court refused to grant the government’s request, and instead put Dellinger in charge of the OSC until February 26.1001010Jackson extended her temporary restraining orders until March 1. She then issued a final ruling concluding that the Trump administration had violated the law by firing Dellinger. She issued an executive order recognizing Dellinger’s role as head of the OSC, and prohibiting the government from interfering in his work. The Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which on Wednesday agreed to pause Jackson’s March 1 order while the appeal continues. The panel, consisting of Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson (appointed by George H.W. Circuit also expedited the government’s appeal, setting a briefing schedule that will be completed on April 11.0 Dellinger said in a statement on March 6 that he thought the D.C. Circuit order was wrong but that he “had a good chance of winning at the Supreme Court” and would “abide by that order.” It’s what Americans are supposed to do.”
This original article was published at Howe on the Court.
