What happens when a whistleblower claims wrongdoing in the federal government?
Who investigates those allegations and who protects those federal employees?
The answer is an independent watchdog agency called the Office of Special Counsel.
Shortly after taking office, President Trump fired the head of that office — Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger. Since then, Dellinger has been locked in a legal fight with the administration. A fight that he gave up on Thursday.
Dellinger was appointed by former President Joe Biden and has led the Office of Special Counsel since March 2024. He sued Trump over the legality of his firing last month, because the law states that special counsels can only be removed by the president for "inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office."
The Republican majority in the House of Representatives has blocked an inquiry into Defense Secretary Pete...
