President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Hampton Dellinger to serve as Special Counsel, Office of the Special Counsel.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. OSC’s basic authorities come from four federal statutes: the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Hatch Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
After being confirmed by the United States Senate with bipartisan support in October 2021, Hampton Dellinger served in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as an Assistant Attorney General overseeing the Office of Legal Policy (OLP) until June 2023. He received an award in appreciation for his work which included vetting potential nominees to the federal judiciary, coordinating DOJ rule making, and handling policy assignments at the direction of DOJ leaders. OLP policy projects during his tenure included updating guidelines for the support of crime victims and witnesses and making important contributions to the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking. Under Dellinger’s leadership, OLP also played a key coordinating role in the Department’s implementation of the President’s Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices as well as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. In addition, Dellinger worked to enhance the reliability of forensic science in investigations and prosecutions.
Dellinger is a former Deputy Attorney General in the North Carolina Department of Justice and served as Chief Legal Counsel in the Office of the North Carolina Governor. In those roles, he assisted with investigations and initiatives to reduce Medicaid fraud, fight political corruption, and improve public services. As a partner at regional and national law firms, he has represented whistleblowers and other clients challenging government activities. His work has led to taxpayer savings by overturning unnecessarily costly bid awards. His writings on a range of topics include criticism of government actions and proposals for public sector improvements. Dellinger received his college degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and his law degree from the Yale Law School.
