Supreme Court Suspends Dismissal of Hampton Dellinger Appointed by Biden Administration, Will Remain in Position Until February 26

Supreme Court Suspends Dismissal of Hampton Dellinger Appointed by Biden Administration, Will Remain in Position Until February 26

February 22: The U.S. Supreme Court has halted an attempt by the Trump administration to remove Hampton Dellinger, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden. Dellinger, who currently serves as the head of the Special Counsel's Office, will remain in his position at least until February 26, and the Supreme Court will take no further action until that date.

The Trump administration had sought to overturn a lower court ruling that reinstated Dellinger. A district court has scheduled a hearing to discuss the possibility of a prolonged delay in this case.

Liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to reject the administration's request. In contrast, conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito objected, expressing doubts about whether a lower court had exceeded its authority and whether the court had the power to reinstate an official removed by the president.

This dispute over Dellingger is the first legal challenge involving multiple dismissals under the Trump administration that has reached the Supreme Court directly. Dellinger filed a lawsuit against his dismissal on February 7 in a Washington D.C. federal court.

After the court's decision on Friday, Dellinger issued a statement saying, "I am pleased to continue working on behalf of independent government oversight and intelligence work. I am grateful to the judges who decided that I should remain in my position until the court determines whether it can protect the independence of my office."

He argued that, according to the law, he could only be removed based on performance, but no performance-related issues were cited as the reason for his dismissal.

Meanwhile, since assuming office for his second term, President Trump has issued a series of executive orders and directives that have faced multiple legal challenges. Several lawsuits have been filed since January 20, including those related to presidential birthright citizenship orders, immigration policies, federal fund suspensions, and legal actions against law enforcement officers.