A judge has ruled in favor of Hampton Dellinger, a government watchdog, after President Trump unlawfully fired him. Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, was dismissed via email as part of Trump’s and Elon Musk’s plan to streamline the government by cutting jobs. Musk, leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is not democratically elected.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson found the firing unlawful, emphasizing the Special Counsel’s role in exposing unethical practices and protecting whistleblowers. Her decision may lead to a Supreme Court battle.
Musk’s department recently emailed federal workers, demanding they list five tasks they completed or face termination. Many, including FBI agents, ignored the email. Musk threatened termination for non-compliance. R. Scott Oswald, an employment law expert, highlighted issues with the email, noting it should come from the supervisory chain, not the Office of Personnel Management.
