Official who safeguards whistleblowers drops lawsuit protesting his firing by Trump

Hampton Dellinger, shown here in June 2024, led the Office of Special Counsel. He was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed for a five-year term ending in 2029. C-SPAN/SCREENGRAB GOVEXEC

Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger said in a statement to Government Executive that he is dropping his lawsuit to reverse his removal by Donald Trump, enabling the president to name his own person to lead the office that protects federal employees and whistleblowers from prohibited personnel practices.

A district judge on March 1 blocked Dellinger’s firing, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday allowed for him to be removed while it considers the Trump administration’s appeal. 

“This new ruling means that OSC will be run by someone totally beholden to the president for the months that would pass before I could get a final decision from the U.S. Supreme ...