WASHINGTON, D.C. | March 2, 2025 — On March 1st, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump’s firing of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger and allowing him to remain in his post while the case proceeds. As the head of Office of Special Counsel (OSC), Dellinger oversees the agency responsible for protecting federal employee whistleblowers and investigating their concerns.
Dellinger was terminated by the White House late on February 7. His termination threatened to paralyze the only government office specifically designed to receive confidential whistleblower reports and protect brave the individuals who speak out to stop fraud, waste, and abuse of power. Dellinger promptly sued to stop the unprecedented attack on federal whistleblower rights, arguing that under the law, the Special Counsel “may be removed by the President only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”
“I’m grateful to see the court confirm the importance and legality of the job protections Congress afforded my position. My efforts to protect federal employees generally, and whistleblowers in particular, from unlawful treatment will continue,” said Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger in regard to the Saturday decision.
“The right call. Catastrophe avoided. If the Office of Special Counsel is reduced to a tool for a sitting President the entire fabric of federal whistleblower protections will be destroyed,” says Stephen M. Kohn, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Whistleblower Center. “Judge Jackson’s ruling is consistent with the statute and legal precedents. For the Special Counsel, and the merit system it is tasked with upholding, to function as Congress intended, the office must be independent and protected from political aims,” Kohn adds.
As a founder of NWC and founding partner of the whistleblower firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, Kohn has advocated for federal employees’ whistleblower rights since the 1980s. He recently presented a webinar outlining the rights of federal employees and contractors under the Privacy Act.
NWC Board Chairman Stephen M. Kohn is available for comment. For more information, contact NWC at programs@whistleblowers.org.
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NWC is the leading nonprofit working with whistleblowers worldwide to fight corruption and protect people and the environment. For over 30 years, NWC has won policies to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and reward them for helping deliver criminal and civil penalties against wrongdoers. It is a trusted advocate for whistleblowers and a key player in the fight for government accountability and transparency.
