Washington Times - A federal court judge ruled late Saturday that President Trump illegally fired special counsel Hampton Dillinger, a key watchdog for federal employees, and the judge ordered Mr. Trump’s team not to interfere with him in any way. The sweeping order by Judge Amy Berman Jackson is a significant blow to Mr. Trump, with Mr. Dellinger not only fighting his own firing but moving to block the president’s attempt to fire other “probationary” federal workers.
Judge Jackson seemed intent on heading off any shenanigans, issuing an order specifically instructing the administration not to “obstruct or interfere with his performance of duties” and not to try to appoint an acting special counsel to delegitimize Mr. Dellinger.
She declared the Feb. 7 email firing Mr. Dellinger to be “an unlawful, ultra vires act.”
“Therefore, it is null and void, and plaintiff is and shall be the special counsel of the Office of Special Counsel for the remainder of his five-year term unless and until he is removed in accordance with 5 U.S.C. §1211(b),” she said.
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