Hampton Dellinger
Appearances
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Well, for almost a year, I was the place that if you're a federal government whistleblower and you see wrongdoing happening on your job in the government, you could come to my office and report it. I could initiate an investigation. And if you happen to be retaliated against for blowing the whistle, I could help protect you.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
That's right. And for 50 years, presidents had respected that design, had respected that there would be a limited but important role for my office and that we would have a measure of protection so we wouldn't worry about losing our jobs when we stood up for other federal employees who are unlawfully losing their jobs.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Yes and no. I had seen inspectors general, really capable, hardworking IGs be ousted. I knew that there was a general view that they didn't want independent watchdogs in the executive branch, but I also knew the history of my office and that had been around for 50 years and courts had respected that independence for 50 years.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
So when I got the email saying, you're fired, thank you for your service, I didn't feel like they meant it. I also didn't feel like it merited a response. So I went back and forth. And, you know, I'm someone who believes in the presidency. I want to see every American president succeed. But I also knew that my firing violated a law, a law that had been on the books.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And I just couldn't walk away in the face of that.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Certainly that was an aspect of it. I had a three judge panel that was somewhat conservative and that mirrors the Supreme Court. So I knew that it could be an uphill fight, even though I disagree with the court's ruling. I would disagree with the Supreme Court if they found my position unconstitutional. But the other issue, Rachel, is.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
It was going to be months, maybe a year before I'd get a final answer. I'd be on the sidelines the whole time. And I've seen the damage over the past month or so that can happen in days, sometimes even hours to these federal agencies when the laws aren't being followed.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And so the idea of trying to come back in a year and fix what I think might be broken forever in terms of the independence of my agency was not something that I thought I could do.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Yeah. Rest, maybe. But I tell you, I can't let go of yesterday. I started out in the morning and helped get six thousand unlawfully fired federal employees their jobs back. Yeah. And at the end of the day, I'd lost my job. And so it was my best day at work and my worst day at work on the same day. So I'm going to hold on to that for a little bit.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
I did. I had brilliant lawyers who assisted me. I got a lot of support from whistleblower advocacy groups, from military veterans groups, because a lot of my job was focused on the VA, which is why, by the way, I think it makes no sense for the president to put in the secretary of the VA. I honor his military service, but he's got a big job on his own to do.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And the idea that he could be in my job investigating himself is just the essence of a conflict of interest.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
That is the plan as of a couple of weeks ago. But to your broader point, you know, I'm just one person and I was inspired by others. I saw the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York stand up and for the rule of law and not sign off on something she didn't think was right. Daniel Sassoon. Yes. I saw the inspectors general who I'd worked with hand in hand for a year being ousted.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And I knew their integrity and their talents. And I. I feel like the easiest thing for me to do was just to follow the law. That's what I've done every day in my job. And I knew my firing violated the law. So I just held true to that. You know, I listened as I was thinking about whether to file the suit or not to shelter in the storm by Bob Dylan.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And I just think for a lawyer, the shelter in the storm in chaos and uncertainty is the law. And that's just what I've tried to hold on to.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Well, we only have a government because of laws. We have a president because of the supreme rule book, the Constitution. So everything is created and structured by a set of rules, a set of laws. And so that's what I think we have to hold on to. And many individuals are putting it front and center. Many individual judges are retaining the essence, I think, of what makes us America.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
But the other thing about federal employees that don't want to be lost, Rachel, is that 30 percent of them, more than 600,000, are military veterans. Yes. They wore the uniform. They put their lives on the line for our country. They come back to federal service. They're nurses. They're TSA agents. They're FBI agents.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And so we're the least we can do is treat them with respect and treat them lawfully.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
I think the law should. I think Congress should step up. You know, Congress has the power of the purse. The president can reorganize government. But there are a set of rules that govern how that reorganization should take place. And all I was asking is that the rules be followed. And I think it's a simple truth. And I think it's one that courts will hold on to and vindicate.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
And I hope Congress does their part as well.
The Rachel Maddow Show
How one man took on Trump's improper firings and saved the jobs of thousands of people
Thank you.