A recent development in the ongoing conflict between federal workers and the Trump administration has emerged. Hampton Dellinger, a government watchdog lawyer, announced on Monday that his office would seek to pause the mass firings of probationary federal workers. This move comes as Dellinger's dismissal by President Trump remains stalled by the courts.
Hampton Dellinger heads the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency dedicated to protecting whistle-blowers. In a statement posted on the agency’s website, Dellinger expressed that the decision to fire probationary employees en masse "without individualized cause" seemed "contrary to a reasonable reading of the law." Consequently, he plans to request a government review board to pause these firings for 45 days, providing a critical window for further evaluation.
This initiative reflects the efforts of federal workers to leverage governmental mechanisms to counteract the mass firings instigated by the Trump administration, under the leadership of Elon Musk’s team. A spokesperson for Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency did not immediately issue a response to requests for comment.
Dellinger's action, initially reported by Government Executive, underscores the complex layers of government officials targeted by the Trump administration. At every level of the case, officials involved in reviewing the firings have themselves been dismissed, prompting them to seek alternative legal avenues to retain their positions.
The Office of Special Counsel, established in 1979, operates independently of the special counsels appointed by the Justice Department, further emphasizing its unique role in safeguarding the rights of federal workers.
