The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to let President Donald Trump immediately fire the head of an independent government agency that protects whistleblowers, according to Reuters.
This means Trump will have to wait before removing Hampton Dellinger, the leader of the Office of Special Counsel, while the legal battle continues.
The issue started when Trump sent an email on February 7 telling Dellinger he was fired “immediately” without giving a reason. However, Dellinger fought back by suing Trump, saying the president doesn’t have the power to fire him without cause.
A federal law states that the head of this agency can only be removed for serious issues like inefficiency or misconduct. Reuters reported that a judge temporarily blocked the firing on February 12, putting Dellinger back in his position while the case is reviewed.
Trump’s administration has been making big changes in the federal government, firing and reassigning thousands of workers, Reuters noted.
The Justice Department called the judge’s decision a major overreach of power and argued that courts shouldn’t interfere with the president’s ability to run the government. However, the judge ruled that Trump’s actions violated federal law meant to keep the agency independent.
The Supreme Court decided not to take immediate action, pushing the case back until February 26, when the lower court’s order expires.
Some conservative justices wanted to let Trump fire Dellinger right away, while two liberal justices wanted to reject Trump’s request completely, Reuters reported.
This case is important because it’s the first big legal fight involving Trump’s decisions since he returned to the White House.
According to Reuters, it could set a precedent for how much power the president has to remove independent government officials in the future.
Credit : Reuters