US President Donald Trump is trying to reduce the size of the federal government by challenging the authority of certain independent agencies.
He has filed an urgent request with the US Supreme Court, to decide if he has the power to fire the head of an independent agency that protects whistleblowers.
As per BBC, Hampton Dellinger, who led the US Office of Special Counsel, took legal action against Trump administration after being fired by email.
Hampton, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden claims that his firing was illegal because a law protects the heads of independent agencies from being removed by the president unless they are negligent, corrupt or inefficient.
Not only that, Trump also removed several government watchdogs and cut thousands of federal jobs.
A federal judge in Washington, DC temporarily allowed Hampton to keep his job until the case is being reviewed.
Meanwhile, the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC disagreed with the Trump administration’s request to overturn the lower court’s decision.
In response, the Justice Department urgently appealed to the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority.
Sarah M Harris, acting solicitor general, wrote in the filing provided by the Department of Justice to the Washington Post, “This court should not allow lower courts to seize executive power by dictating to the president how long he must continue employing an agency head against his will.”
The statement added, “Until now, as far as we are aware, no court in American history has wielded an injunction to force the president to retain an agency head.”
This is the first case Trump has taken to the Supreme Court since he became president last month.
