Special counsel resigns, removing roadblock to Trump firings

Special counsel Hampton Dellinger faced President Trump head-on and lost, resigning his post on Thursday rather than fighting his firing from the outside.

His departure marks a major legal victory for Mr. Trump, removing someone who had emerged as a major impediment to the president’s agenda.

Mr. Dellinger led the Office of Special Counsel, which acts as a watchdog for federal employees who face adverse personnel decisions. This week alone, he secured a delay in firing more than 5,000 Agriculture Department employees.