On Monday the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case involving Donald Trump's previous ownership of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. that could create far-reaching new powers for the political party not in power.
According to a report from Politico, the challenge to the so-called "seven-member rule" would lower the threshold for investigating the Executive branch.
The genesis for the challenge stems from Trump's leasing from the government the Old Post Office building which was turned into a Trump-branded hotel which has since become the Waldorf Astoria Washington, D.C. after the lease was sold.
Questions about the deal and the ensuing operation led House Democrats to request information that was denied and has been a bone of contention since 2017.
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According to the Politico report, "The case turns on a 95-year-old federal law commonly known as “the seven-member rule,” which allows any seven members of the House Oversight Committee to demand records from anywhere in the federal government," before adding, "That power has rarely been used but, on paper, appears to permit members of the minority — typically largely shut out of decision-making power — to demand significant information from federal agencies and the White House."
"Last November, the Justice Department asked the justices to take up the case, following a 2-1 appeals court decision that supported the use of the seven-member rule. It’s also in keeping with the Biden administration’s position — also aligned with Trump — to only respond to oversight requests from the House majority," the report continued.
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