The Supreme Court has announced that it will review a case involving House Democrats’ efforts to obtain information about a lease awarded to a company owned by former President Donald Trump.
Supreme Court to Consider House Democrats’ Lawsuit over Trump-owned property lease documents
The dispute, known as Carnahan v. Maloney, will be heard in the next term starting in October. The case pits the Biden administration, which took over from the Trump administration, against Democratic lawmakers. The legal battle centers around a 2013 agreement between the General Services Administration (GSA) and Trump Old Post Office LLC, owned by Donald Trump and three of his children. The agreement involved the renovation of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., which was transformed into the Trump International Hotel. Last year, Trump’s company sold the hotel, which is now operated as a Waldorf Astoria.
After Trump’s election victory in 2016, Democratic lawmakers, led by the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, requested unredacted lease documents and expense reports related to the Old Post Office. They invoked a federal law, Section 2954, which requires executive agencies to provide certain information to congressional oversight committees. The GSA initially provided the requested documents but later declined to comply with additional requests, prompting the lawmakers to sue the agency in federal court.
The district court dismissed the case, citing a lack of legal standing for the lawmakers
However, a divided panel of judges on the federal appeals court in Washington revived the case, asserting that the Democrats had standing to sue. The Biden administration appealed the decision, arguing that it contradicted Supreme Court precedents and threatened the balance between the branches of government.
The Justice Department contended that the denial of requested information did not constitute a legally recognizable injury under the Constitution. In response, the lawyers representing the Democrats argued against the Supreme Court’s involvement, stating that the case did not involve a conflict requiring resolution or raising recurring constitutional issues.
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case in its next term will determine whether members of Congress can sue a federal agency for failing to disclose information sought under Section 2954, and it will have implications for the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of the government.
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