2025 Supreme(US)(cadc) 82
COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE D.C. CIRCUIT
Hampton Dellinger – Appellant
Versus
Scott Bessent – Respondent
Appellee
v. Scott Bessent, in his official capacity as Secretary of the Treasury, et al.,
Appellants
BEFORE: Katsas*, Childs, and Pan, Circuit Judges
ORDER
Upon consideration of the emergency motion for stay, the opposition thereto, and the reply, and the February 11, 2025 letter, it is
ORDERED, on the court’s own motion, that this appeal be dismissed for lack of
jurisdiction. Appellants have not shown that the district court’s February 10, 2025
minute order, which entered a three-day administrative stay to afford time to consider
appellee’s motion for a temporary restraining order, had the effect of granting an
injunction that is appealable under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(1). See Kokkonen v. Guardian
Life Ins. Co. of Am.,
FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent appellants request mandamus relief, that request be denied. Appellants have not shown that they are entitled to the extraordinary remedy of mandamus. See Cheney v. U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Columbia, 542 U.S. 367, 380-81 (2004). It is
FURTHER ORDERED that the emergency motion for stay be dismissed as moot.
*A statement by Circuit Judge Katsas, concurring in this order, is attached. United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT ____________ No. 25-5025 September Term, 2024
Pursuant to D.C. Circuit Rule 36, this disposition will not be published. The Clerk is directed to withhold issuance of the mandate herein until seven days after resolution of any timely petition for rehearing or petition for rehearing en banc. See Fed. R. App. P. 41(b); D.C. Cir. Rule 41.
Per Curiam
FOR THE COURT: Clifton B. Cislak, Clerk
BY: /s/ Scott H. Atchue Deputy Clerk
Page 2
Katsas, Circuit Judge, concurring: This case arises from the President’s removal of Special
Counsel Hampton Dellinger on Friday, February 7, 2025. On Monday, February 10, Dellinger
filed a complaint challenging the removal and sought a temporary restraining order reinstating
him. Later that day, before the government was able to file a written opposition, the district court
held a hearing on the motion. The same day, the court entered what it described as an
“administrative stay” pending further consideration of the TRO motion. The order requires the
government to recognize Dellinger as Special Counsel and to provide him access to that Office.
The order further prohibits the government from recognizing the President’s designation of Doug
Collins, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as Acting Special Counsel. The order runs through
Thursday, February 13, while the district court further considers the pending TRO motion.
The pending TRO motion raises its share of difficulties. For one thing, it would be difficult
for Dellinger to show a likelihood of success in light of Collins v. Yellen, 594 U.S. 220 (2021), and
Seila Law LLC v. CFPB, 591 U.S. 197 (2020), which held that Article II of the Constitution
prevents Congress from restricting the President’s ability to remove officers who serve as the sole
heads of agencies that wield significant executive power. For another, it would be difficult for
Dellinger to show irreparable injury during whatever modest amount of time may be necessary to
adjudicate an expedited motion for preliminary injunction, either to himself or