The White House fired Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, who is challenging his illegal firing in court. The Office of Special Counsel is a hub of whistleblowing inside the federal government and an indispensable champion for protecting federal whistleblowers from retaliation. Whistleblower Aid’s Andrew Bakaj issued a statement in response:

“The attack on the Special Counsel’s office is among the most damaging moves against accountability in the federal government. I have spent years referring whistleblowers to that office and cannot overstate how important its work is to expose government wrongdoing and protect whistleblowers from retaliation and retribution. It’s heartening to see Special Counsel Dellinger mount a court challenge to his blatantly illegal firing, but it’s also important for the American people to understand what’s at stake and what we could be losing if he is unable to win his job back. Replacing Special Counsel Dellinger with a political appointee loyal to Donald Trump would make a mockery of the office and effectively shut down any meaningful scrutiny of illegal or unethical behavior within the administration.