Summary
A U.S. judge ruled that Donald Trump’s firing of whistleblower watchdog Hampton Dellinger was illegal, warning it would grant a president “a constitutional license to bully officials.”
Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected Trump’s claim that the firing was constitutional, affirming job protections for the Office of Special Counsel head. The Justice Department is appealing the decision.
The ruling impacts Trump’s broader efforts to limit federal agency independence. Dellinger vowed to continue protecting whistleblowers, while Trump’s administration argues his role undermines presidential authority.
Ok, what happens now?
We discover what else the presidency can do to reverse congressional decisions. I guess they can defund it, stop paying for the building, isolate it from government services, etc. I think the courts can only go so far if congress just stands idly by.
And they will stand by as Trump dismantles democracy so long as someone is lining their pockets.