BREAKING: Another trove of internal documents on the #2020census citizenship question have been released by the Trump administration as part of lawsuits. Here's the working download link from the amended filing by @TheJusticeDept: osec.doc.gov/opog/foia/docu…
@TheJusticeDept 2. While I read through the new docs, here's a recap on what we've learned about the #2020census citizenship question from the internal emails & memos released earlier 👇
@TheJusticeDept 3. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wrote if Justice Department has not "come to a conclusion," he "will call the AG" in August 2017 email exchange about #2020census citizenship question with Commerce Department official Earl Comstock 👇 documentcloud.org/documents/4619…
NEW: The Trump administration must release more internal documents for #2020census citizenship question lawsuits that @TheJusticeDept attorneys had withheld because of deliberative process privilege, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman orders.👇
2. From Judge Furman’s opinion: These documents about #2020census citizenship Q “are not protected by the deliberative process privilege because they merely ‘reflect deliberations about what “message” should be delivered to the public about an already-decided policy decision.’ “
NEW: Trump administration is preparing to ask Supreme Court to block #2020census citizenship question lawsuit deposition of @TheJusticeDept official John Gore
AND
judge on 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked deposition of @SecretaryRoss for lawsuits 👇
Over past 3+ months, I've read 12,000+ pages of internal docs the Trump admin has released for #2020census citizenship question lawsuits. I've been reporting on how @SecretaryRoss' explanation of how this Q ended up on census has suffered blow after blow w each document dump 👇
@SecretaryRoss 2. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross oversees the census. He's testified in Congress that Justice Department initiated citizenship Q request in Dec 2017 & he was "responding solely" to that. In March, he announced he approved adding question to forms every US household has to answer
@SecretaryRoss 3. After the announcement, I was having trouble keeping up w all the lawsuits that started popping up. Right now, more than 2 dozen states/cities, plus other groups, are suing the Trump admin in 6 lawsuits around the country. These lawsuits required the release of internal docs.
CONFIRMED: @TheJusticeDept initially "did not want to raise" citizenship Q request for #2020census when approached by @CommerceGov beginning in May 2017 "given the difficulties Justice was encountering in the press at the time (the whole Comey matter)" 👇
@TheJusticeDept@AGSteveMarshall@RepMoBrooks 14. Judge Furman is ordering the release of 3 of the 17 documents in question -- Bates No. 2458, 3984, 9834 -- by Monday, Sept. 17.