Nation
Trump fires top US ethics official and head of agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers
Feb. 10, 2025 at 8:43 am Updated Feb. 10, 2025 at 1:10 pm
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
By
ERIC TUCKER
and
ALANNA DURKIN RICHER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired the federal government’s top ethics official as well as the leader of the agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers — the latest moves by the Republican to push out officials in his quest to overhaul the government.
Hampton Dellinger filed a lawsuit Monday claiming he was illegally removed as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, which is responsible for protecting the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions, such as retaliation for whistleblowing. Also on Monday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics posted on its website that Trump had removed its director, David Huitema.
Dellinger and Huitema were both confirmed by the Senate last year to serve five-year terms. Their removal comes as Trump is testing the limits of well-established civil service protections by moving to dismantle federal agencies and push out staffers.
Huitema said he was notified in an email of his removal over the weekend with no explanation. In an interview, he said he was “extremely disappointed,” adding that he was committed to the mission of the office and its staff “who represent the best of public service.”
Dellinger was fired in a Friday evening email from the White House personnel director. Dellinger noted in his lawsuit, filed in Washington federal court, that special counsels can be removed by the president “only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” Dellinger was also confirmed last year by the Senate for a five-year term to lead the watchdog agency.
“The effort to remove me has no factual nor legal basis — none — which means it is illegal,” Dellinger said in an email. He’s seeking a court order finding that his termination was illegal and reinstating him as the special counsel.
It investigates whistleblower claims of reprisal, can pursue disciplinary action against employees who punish whistleblowers and provides a channel for employees to disclose government wrongdoing.
Stephen Kohn, chairman of the board of National Whistleblower Center, called Dellinger’s firing “irresponsible and dangerous.”
“This action undermines a critical government program that has saved taxpayers billions of dollars and is designed to encourage reporting of waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Kohn said in a statement. “Additionally, the Office of Special Counsel maintains confidential lists of hundreds or thousands of federal employees who have blown the whistle on serious fraud, waste, and abuse. All of whom are now in immediate danger of being exposed.”
The Office of Special Counsel is also responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act, which restricts the partisan political activities of government workers. Dellinger’s firing comes as Trump administration employees have touted their support on social media for his policies even though the Hatch Act is meant to restrict political advocacy while on duty.
The independent agency is separate from Justice Department special counsels, who are appointed by the attorney general for specific investigations, like Jack Smith.
Before becoming special counsel, Dellinger served as an assistant attorney general in the Biden administration Justice Department overseeing its Office of Legal Policy. He was also a deputy attorney general in the North Carolina Department of Justice and was chief legal counsel in the governor’s office there.
ERIC TUCKER.
ALANNA DURKIN RICHER.
seattletimes.com |
