Trump Cleared to Oust Head of Whistleblower Office for Now (2)

A federal appeals court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to at least temporarily fire the head of an independent US whistleblower agency, pausing a decision by a judge who determined the dismissal was illegal.

The ruling is a major setback for Hampton Dellinger, who was fired from the Office of Special Counsel without explanation on Feb. 7 but remained in his job by judicial order. His termination was part of the president’s bid to get rid of some agency officials whose independence was established by Congress.

A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for ...