New: U.S. Justice Department asks 6th U.S. Circuit Court to immediately lift stay on COVID vaccine rule reuters.com/article/health… from @tomhals DOJ filing: "The Fifth Circuit questioned OSHA’s analysis in numerous respects, but the court did not meaningfully address OSHA’s comprehensive explanations, and it disregarded the deference owed to the agency’s evidence-based determinations."

DC bar disciplinary investigation of Rudy Giuliani was revealed in his unsuccessful challenge to a DC court's temporary suspension of his law license; DC 'original jurisdiction' case is distinct from NY inquiry reuters.com/legal/governme… DC bar disciplinary office in December asked Rudy Giuliani about claims he made in the Pennsylvania election case Trump v. Boockvar. Judge later dismissed 'strained legal arguments without merit' reuters.com/legal/governme…

'For all his troubles, Ambassador Sondland learned that speaking truthfully and candidly in front of Congress as cameras roll is a fireable offense in Pompeo’s State Department.' New filing: tmsnrt.rs/3kL9y30 Sondland, former US ambassador who testified against Trump during his 1stimpeachment, sued Pompeo in May seeking $1.8M in legal fees reuters.com/world/us/forme…

DOJ argues for pre-trial detention of Federico Klein, the Trump appointee in State Dept. arrested in connection with Capitol riot: 'Federico Klein chose to put himself in the thick of the violence' assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2050… Prosecutors: 'Klein’s violent and enthusiastic participation in the mob’s efforts to break into the Capitol Building by assaulting police officers on the Lower West Terrace weighs heavily in favor of detention.' assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2050…

NOW: US Justice Dept. drops Trump-era lawsuit against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, an ex-friend and former adviser to Melania Trump DOJ lawsuit over Wolkoff's book about Melania was brought under the leadership of Jeffrey Clark, then the acting head of the civil division courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…

Veteran SCOTUS advocate Pamela Karlan, a Stanford Law professor, is joining Biden DOJ civil rights division as principal deputy assistant attorney general politico.com/news/2021/02/0… Karlan was on the Biden DOJ transition team law.com/nationallawjou… Pamela Karlan was a leading advocate at SCOTUS in the case last term that would solidify anti-discrimination protection for LGBT employees law.com/nationallawjou…

Just in: DC Judge James Boasberg won't issue and injunction against Pence in Wisconsin voter case. Here's the ruling: ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_p… "Although they claim to have been 'disenfranchised,' this is plainly not true. Their votes have been counted and their electors certified pursuant to state-authorized procedures" ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_p…

Break: 3rd Circuit US Appeals Court rules against Trump campaign in Pennsylvania ballot lawsuit -- "Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so" assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2041… "Tossing out millions of mail-in ballots would be drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate and upsetting all down-ballot races too. That remedy would be grossly disproportionate to the procedural challenges raised." assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2041…

DOJ tonight, responding to a FOIA lawsuit in DC, claims it cannot release expenditure and staffing information for John Durham investigation. New court filing: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/7207… DOJ: "Releasing these non-public details about the specifics and contours of the Review’s investigatory activities, and/or whether specific trips taken by the Attorney General were related to the Review, would risk undermining any ongoing criminal investigations or prosecutions."

Now: US District Judge Emmet Sullivan defends his scrutiny of Barr Justice Department's move to dismiss the Michael Flynn case. The judge's filing in the DC Circuit: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6934… Judge Emmet Sullivan's lawyers note in their DC Circuit filing: DOJ's papers seeking dismissal of Flynn case were signed only by Timothy Shea /// "The circumstances of that filing are also unusual" assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6934…

New: US District Judge Reggie Walton will review unredacted Mueller report to determine whether redactions can remain in place. Order just issued: drive.google.com/file/d/1PHfUd0… Judge Walton on Barr: 'The actions of Attorney General Barr and his representations about the Mueller Report preclude the Court’s acceptance of the validity of the Department’s redactions without its independent verification.' drive.google.com/file/d/1PHfUd0…

Newly unsealed court transcript: DC's chief public corruption prosecutor told a judge in September, about status of Andrew McCabe investigation: "I expect that there will be a public decision about the matter very shortly." Court filings: drive.google.com/file/d/1QvFsQT… US District Judge Reggie Walton ordered the release of communication he's had with US prosecutors in DC in a FOIA case related to Andrew McCabe. He had expressed concern in recent weeks about secrecy in the case at.law.com/3e2Kbt?cmp=sha… /// at.law.com/wZcArx?cmp=sha…

Trump tax returns case: US District Judge Trevor McFadden says today he will not rule on House Ways & Means lawsuit until after DC Circuit ruling in Donald McGahn subpoena case. Order: McFadden heard arguments in the House suit against Treasury/ IRS in November: A Judge Didn't Sound Eager to Throw Out House Suit Seeking Trump Tax Returns at.law.com/1rHpdQ?cmp=sha…

Ruling tonight: DC judge won't force Justice Dept. to disclose any records showing whether Trump was or is a target of an investigation /// Opinion: assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4840… #FOIA US Justice Department refused to confirm/ deny existence of any such records. Judge Amy Berman Jackson says Trump's press statements and tweets aren't enough to overcome DOJ's "glomar" response. assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4840…