Trump’s firing of watchdog agency chief illegal and would give ‘license to bully officials’, judge rules

Case is seen as early test of scope of presidential authority as Trump seeks to rein in federal agencies' independence

A US judge on Saturday declared president Donald Trump's firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency illegal in an early test of the scope of presidential power likely to be decided at the US supreme court.

US district judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington had previously ruled that Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel who is responsible for protecting whistleblowers, could remain in his post pending a ruling.