Thread by @KlasfeldReports

Second Circuit REJECTS petition to stay Wilbur Ross's deposition in the #2020Census case, but allows for a 48-hour stay for a SCOTUS appeal.

All eyes on Kavanaugh, who could spare a Trump cabinet member from the hot seat in a case affecting U.S. political power for a decade.

NOTE: A three-judge panel of bipartisan appointees - USCJ Walker (H.W. Bush), USCJ Lohier (Obama) and USDJ Pauley (Clinton) - unanimously rejected the stay the DOJ wanted in a summary order.

We'll learn w/in two days whether post-Kavanaugh SCOTUS divides along partisan lines.

This is an important one to watch.

* Depositions of presidential cabinet members are rare.
* Ross will face questions about false testimony to Congress about why he added the citizenship question. (Cited in "bad faith" quote here)
* Census apportions political power for 10 years

More on the embarrassing questions Wilbur Ross would avoid if he gets a Supreme Court life raft. courthousenews.com/unsealed-ross-…

Look out for my story on the Second Circuit ruling soon.

Here's the ruling. documentcloud.org/documents/4999…

Today's CA2 ruling was widely anticipated - a resounding defeat for the DOJ's bid to stop Wilbur Ross's deposition.

What's next:

* SCOTUS, almost certainly.
* Scrutiny on Kavanaugh.
* Ross's misleading testimony to Congress to be scrutinized, or buried.

courthousenews.com/scotus-fight-l…

Small qualification: The challengers of the citizenship question will still get to try to undermine Ross's congressional testimony earlier this year with other documents and testimony they've obtained.

But if SCOTUS blocks, they won't be able to grill him personally on it.