The Supreme Court has decided to hear a case regarding whether Democratic legislators in Washington, D.C. should be permitted to file a lawsuit to obtain information on the former hotel owned by former President Trump.
As many of the original complainants have departed Congress or passed away, and as Democrats were able to obtain the majority of the requested records through other means, the hotel documents have lost much of their significance.
However, the case will have a greater impact on the minority party’s ability to evaluate a presidential administration.
According to The Hill, “The hotel documents have largely fallen out of focus in the dispute, as several lawmakers who filed the lawsuit have since left Congress or died, and Democrats obtained many of the requested materials through other means. But the case will more broadly impact how the minority party in Congress can scrutinize a presidential administration.”
“Democrats, in seeking the documents, leveraged a federal law known as the ‘Seven Member Rule.’ It allows any seven members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability or any five members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee to ask for information within their purview from executive agencies. After a Trump-era agency declined to turn over the documents under the rule, Democrats sued to enforce their demand. In a brief, unsigned order on Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the lawmakers have legal standing to move ahead in their case,” the outlet added.
The case will likely be decided in 2024, as it will be considered during the court’s forthcoming annual term.
The attorneys for Democratic legislators pled with the court to uphold the earlier decision.
“This case is a legal unicorn,” the legislators stated in court documents. “There is no conflict among the circuits over standing under Section 2954. Indeed, only three times over the course of nearly a century have Members sued to enforce Section 2954, and neither of the earlier cases resulted in an appellate ruling on standing (or anything else).”
Trump made headlines over the weekend as new rumors circulated about a potential running companion for 2024.
Trump names three candidates for vice president in 2024, alleging that his choice will “stun the world”: Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Arizona Republican Kari Lake, and South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem.
According to the report, Lake, “certainly looked ascendant last fall when she was competing for Arizona’s governorship. She enjoyed Trump’s endorsement, and she enjoyed favorable coverage in conservative media. It’s not hard to understand why. Lake is a unique creature, spewing the hard right rhetoric that MAGA Nation finds so endearing while doing so with the glitz and polish of a seasoned TV reporter. She was delivering Trump’s message – but she was doing so without the spray tan and the guttural accent and the lack of eloquence. Rather, Lake delivered Trump’s message all pretty-like.”
Regarding Marjorie Taylor Greene, the report stated: “Trump loves her and she loves Trump. And impressively, MTG seems to be pivoting into a position of more mainstream acceptance with the GOP (as demonstrated through her support of Kevin McCarthy for speaker). The version of MTG that can appeal to both MAGA and the mainstream is a concerning premise, and someone that Trump has his eye on as a prospective running mate with appeal in the newly-in-play Georgia.”
And on Noem, the report speculates: “The governor of South Dakota is apparently on Trump’s shortlist. Noem said she would be shocked if Trump chose her and I think she means it; she is a long-shot pick. But she’s got a few of the things Trump guns for. One, Noem has been loyal to Trump, vowing to support the former president through the 2024 campaign. And Trump values loyalty above seemingly all else.”
Last week, Trump’s campaign provided some intriguing details about his likely running mate.
According to Trump insiders who spoke with The Daily Caller, the 45th president will likely select a vice presidential candidate who is “loyal,” “charismatic,” and “ideologically aligned.”
“No candidates have publicly announced their intent to be Trump’s VP, but the former president has indicated that ‘a lot of people’ are ‘auditioning’ behind the scenes. Trump insiders told the Caller that although there haven’t been any formal discussions to narrow down the pool, there are a set of characteristics that will likely be considered,” the Daily Caller reported.