Former President Donald Trump secured another legal win as Hampton Dellinger, the fired head of a federal watchdog agency, announced Thursday that he is abandoning his lawsuit over his removal from office. The decision follows a ruling by a federal appeals court in Washington that sided with the Trump administration, paving the way for Dellinger’s dismissal.
Dellinger, who led the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), an independent agency responsible for protecting federal employees from unlawful personnel actions, had challenged his abrupt firing. He argued that the president could not remove him without cause, citing a law that limits such terminations to cases of inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance. However, his legal challenge faced mounting obstacles, with the appellate court’s decision signaling an uphill battle if he pursued the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“My fight to stay on the job was not for me, but for the principle that the OSC should remain as Congress intended—an independent watchdog and a safe, trustworthy place for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation,” Dellinger said in a statement.
His departure raises questions about the future of several ongoing investigations, including those into the Trump administration’s mass firing of thousands of probationary federal workers. With Dellinger out, the White House is expected to appoint a new special counsel, a move critics say will further consolidate presidential influence over independent oversight bodies.
The case had become a high-profile legal battle over the president’s authority to remove the leaders of independent agencies. Many observers had expected the Supreme Court to eventually weigh in, given the implications for executive power. The appellate court’s decision to lift an earlier ruling that reinstated Dellinger effectively ended his tenure, a move he called a blow to the office’s independence.
“I think the circuit judges erred badly because their willingness to sign off on my ouster—whether temporary or not—immediately undermines the independence Congress designed for my position, a vital protection that has been in place for nearly 50 years,” Dellinger said.
Beyond his legal battle, Dellinger had also been advocating for the reinstatement of thousands of federal employees dismissed by the Trump administration. On Wednesday, a federal labor board ruled in favor of more than 5,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture workers, ordering their reinstatement. While the ruling applies only to USDA employees, Dellinger urged all federal agencies to overturn similar firings.
With Dellinger’s departure, the fate of those efforts remains uncertain. The White House has not yet announced who will replace him as special counsel, though political observers anticipate a nominee more aligned with Trump’s agenda. The ruling marks another judicial victory for the former president as he continues to reshape the federal government and its oversight structures.
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