Legal battle over firing of federal watchdog agency head

SOURCE www.npr.org
An appeals court in Washington removed the head of a federal watchdog agency in a legal battle over President Trump's authority to fire the special counsel.

Key Points

  • Appeals court sided with the Trump administration in allowing the immediate removal of Hampton Dellinger as head of the Office of Special Counsel
  • Dellinger likely to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court
  • Office of Special Counsel responsible for guarding federal workforce from illegal personnel actions
  • Ruling comes amidst a challenge to the removal of probationary workers in the Trump administration's shakeup
  • Government panel ruled that more than 5,000 employees fired by the Trump administration should be reinstated at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Pros

  • Protection of whistleblowers
  • Legal battle over presidential authority

Cons

  • Chilling effect on the duties of the Office of Special Counsel