Trump Allies Sue John Roberts To Give White House Control Of Court System - TPM

[justaprogressive]

In a little-noticed lawsuit filed last week, the America First Legal Foundation sued Chief Justice John Roberts and the head of the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

The case ostensibly proceeds as a FOIA lawsuit, with the Trump-aligned group seeking access to judiciary records. But, in doing so, it asks the courts to cede massive power to the White House: the bodies that make court policy and manage the judiciary’s day-to-day operations should be considered independent agencies of the executive branch, the suit argues, giving the President, under the conservative legal movement’s theories, the power to appoint and dismiss people in key roles.

Multiple legal scholars and attorneys TPM spoke with reacted to the suit with a mixture of dismay, disdain and laughter. Though the core legal claim is invalid, they said, the suit seems to be a part of the fight that the administration launched and has continued to escalate against the courts over the past several months: ignoring a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of a wrongly removed Salvadoran man, providing minimal notice to people subject to the Alien Enemies Act, flaunting an aggressive criminal case against a state court judge.

The executive branch has tried to encroach on the power of the judiciary in other ways too, prompting a degree of consternation and alarm unusual for the normally-staid Administrative Office of U.S. Courts. As TPM has documented, DOGE has already caused disorder at the courts and sent out mass emails to judges and other judiciary employees demanding a list of their recent accomplishments. Per one recent report in the New York Times, federal judges have expressed concern that Trump could direct the U.S. Marshals Service — an executive branch agency tasked with protecting judges and carrying out court orders — to withdraw protection.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-allies-sue-john-roberts-to-give-white-house-control-of-court-system

[Attilatheblond]

1. Guess they think the Constitution has been revoked?

What the hell is wrong with these people? Do they not know the SCOTUS holds the power to decide what is or isn't OK by the Constitution?

[Volaris]

2. What POSSIBLE argument could they have that Court Administration

belongs anywhere OTHER than the fucking Judiciary?!?!

This is a direct attack on the CJ and his independent constitutional authority.

This is THE red flag the court can't ignore.

(On Edit) The idea is that both Congress and the Courts are the same as subordinate executive branch agencies.
My guess is that these opinions will be really entertaining to read, because the judges are going to wield the Federalist Papers as a fucking blunt weapon.

Think what you will about Roberts, he strikes me as pretty savvy, despite being sometimes a complete asshole. This is to say nothing of the liberal block that is ABSOLUTLEY going to take Stephen Miller up on his request to be kicked squarely in the balls.

Trump and his pirate crew are going to regret picking this fight.

[Mountainguy]

3. SCOTUS should

take this opportunity to rule widely and say that the President has no power to fire anyone at any independent agency. That his only role it to appoint people where provided by law for predetermined terms, but has not authority beyond that.