Washington: A US federal appeals court has temporarily cleared President Donald Trump to remove the head of the independent Office of Special Counsel (OSC), who Trump dismissed after he began investigating the president's controversial mass firings of federal employees.
According to Anadolu Agency, in a brief, unsigned order issued on Wednesday, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted the Trump administration's request to stay a lower court ruling that blocked the president from dismissing Hampton Dellinger. "This order gives effect to the removal of appellee from his position as Special Counsel of the US Office of Special Counsel," the court's order stated, noting that the Trump administration had met the "stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal."
The court further indicated that while it has allowed the dismissal on a temporary basis, it would expedite its review of the case.
The ruling is the latest development in the legal clash following Trump's February decision to fire Dellinger, who was a Senate-confirmed appointee of former President Joe Biden. Dellinger had been probing the controversial mass firing of probationary federal employees by the Trump administration, a move that led to his legal battle to keep his position.
Earlier this month, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Trump's attempt to remove Dellinger violated federal law, which specifies that the Special Counsel can only be dismissed for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office." However, the appeals court decision temporarily overrides Jackson's ruling, thus allowing Trump to remove Dellinger for the time being.
Dellinger has indicated that he may appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court, which has previously intervened in the case. In response to the appeals court ruling, Dellinger's attorneys have urged the court to reject the administration's request, emphasizing the significance of "stability and continuity" at the office during the ongoing litigation. The court's full opinion on the matter is anticipated in the coming weeks.