Bill Barr's DOJ gets involved in GOP lawmaker's suit to gut Illinois' stay-at-home order

On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that the Department of Justice has filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit filed by a GOP legislator challenging the stay-at-home order issued by Gov. J. B. Pritzker (D-IL).

"After Pritzker, an outspoken Trump critic, moved to have the lawsuit filed by state Rep. Darren Bailey heard in federal court earlier this week, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said in a statement that 'the Governor of Illinois owes it to the people of Illinois to allow his state’s courts to adjudicate the question of whether Illinois law authorizes orders he issued to respond to COVID-19,'" reported Allison Quinn.

Bailey is arguing in court that the orders "are invalid because they go beyond the scope of 30 days approved by the state legislature," according to the report.

Bailey attracted national attention earlier this week after the Illinois House of Representatives ejected him from a legislative session for refusing to wear a face mask.