ποΈ “Check Out Time! Supreme Court Closes the Guestbook on Trump’s DC Hotel Docs Drama” π¨
TL;DR; π
In a twist ending to the saga of Trump’s DC hotel, the Supreme Court said, “No more, thank you.” They put an end to a lawsuit over whether Democratic lawmakers could get their hands on documents tied to Trump’s former DC property. Funny enough, the lawmakers themselves dumped the lawsuit, and the case, once a hot topic, cooled down to a lukewarm “meh.” Now the big question remains, does this close the door on future snooping into Presidential affairs? ππ
βοΈπ Full Scoop:
In an episode of “That’s So Over,” the Supreme Court put a full stop on a lawsuit over documents connected to Trump’s old Washington, D.C. hotel. Congress members kicked the lawsuit to the curb last month, and the high court followed suit, ditching the case as outdated news. All parties involved scribbled a “we’re cool with this” note to the justices, who said “adieu” to the case with a short, unsigned order on Monday. Interesting tidbit, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson decided to be the lone wolf, dissenting from the order, arguing for a different process to ditch the case. But let’s not forget the juicier parts of this tale. π
Ever tried to find a needle in a haystack? That was kind of the situation with the hotel docs, which gradually lost significance as lawmakers found most of them via different avenues. However, the case was positioned to be a heavyweight champ in deciding how a minority party in Congress could investigate a presidential administration using a cheeky law known as the “Seven Member Rule.” ποΈπ
The DOJ took the offensive, urging the justices to proclaim that the Democrats couldn’t drag this into court to enforce the rule. This little-known regulation lets a handful of members from select committees request info within their scope from executive agencies. Cool, right? But after Democrats decided to drop the case like it’s hot, the DOJ swiftly stated that the Supreme Court should sidestep hearing its appeal. Sounds like everyone was eager for a quick exit! πͺπ¨
Democrats, who initially suggested that the Supreme Court keep its nose out of the case, agreed that the court should wash its hands off it. They argued that despite not formally backing out from their request or openly disowning attempts to fetch disputed documents in the future, their court notice and letter should be considered an absolute withdrawal of their claims. Talk about backing down with a bang! π
The backstory is just as exciting. For a good while, Democrats tried to uncover financial records connected to Trump’s hotel, conveniently located on federal property near the White House. The GSA leased the Old Post Office Pavilion to Trump to morph it into a luxury hotel, sparking concerns about the bidding process and potential conflicts of interest. The Donald, of course, denied any wrongdoing. Can’t say we’re surprised! π
When Democrats sought to invoke the Seven Member Rule to access hotel docs from the Trump-era GSA, they were given the cold shoulder. However, they later managed to get hold of many documents through different means. The plot thickens, doesn’t it? In the end, Trump Organization sold the hotel lease, and it now operates as a swanky Waldorf Astoria. Meanwhile, several Democrats who had initially filed the lawsuit either took their final bow or exited the Congress stage. What a ride! π’
While we are closing the book on this particular saga, the door remains ajar for intriguing questions. Will