Office of Special Counsel Opens Investigation Into Jack Smith Over Trump Prosecution

The former special counsel is being investigated for possible violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts partisan activities by federal employees. A G.O.P. senator had requested an inquiry over Mr. Smith’s prosecution of Donald Trump.

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Trump Nominates a Former Far-Right Podcast Host to Head an Ethics Watchdog

The president picked Paul Ingrassia, the current White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which examines public corruption.

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Trump Officials Weaken Rules Insulating Government Workers From Politics

A reinterpretation of the Hatch Act announced by the administration lets officials wear campaign paraphernalia like MAGA hats, and removes an independent board’s role in policing violations.

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Government Watchdog Drops Inquiries Into Mass Firings of Probationary Workers

Experts in federal employment law said the Trump administration’s justifications to end the investigations were baffling at best.

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Government Watchdog Ends Fight to Keep His Job After Trump Firing

Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, has been a key figure scrutinizing the recent mass firings of federal workers.

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Trump Administration Told to Reinstate Nearly 6,000 USDA Workers

The fired employees were on probationary status, swept up in the administration’s push to rapidly reduce the size of the federal work force in part by targeting those types of workers.

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Trump Administration Told to Reinstate Nearly 6,000 Agriculture Dept. Workers

The fired employees were on probationary status, swept up in the administration’s push to rapidly reduce the size of the federal work force in part by targeting those types of workers.

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Judge Rules Trump Can’t Fire Head of Federal Watchdog Agency Without Cause

A federal judge said that the president’s efforts to remove Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, were unlawful. The agency protects whistle-blowers.

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Trump Seeks Prompt Supreme Court Review of His Power to Fire Officials

The justices ruled last week that the president could not, for now, remove a government lawyer who leads the watchdog agency that protects whistle-blowers.

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Six Fired Federal Workers Temporarily Reinstated by Review Board

The decision could apply more broadly to thousands of other government employees who were fired because they were on probationary status and relatively new in their positions.

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