A Federal Judge Initiated Contempt of Court Proceedings over Allegations that the U.S. Commerce Department Defied her Order Not to Rush Completion of the Census.

U.S. District Judge, Lucy Koh, said during a Hearing, Tuesday Sept. 29th, that Monday’s Announcement that Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, is Targeting Oct. 5th, to Wrap-Up the Once-a-Decade Population Count “is doing exactly” what she Ordered the Agency Not to do last week.

The Judge said the Proceeding could be Identified by a more Formal Name but made Clear she believes Ross Violated the Order. “You don’t have to call it contempt,” she said. “You can call it something else.” The Judge set a, Friday Oct. 2nd, Hearing.

August Flentje, a Lawyer for the Commerce Department, told the Judge that her Reaction was an Abrupt Shift from a Hearing Monday, which was Primarily concerned with her Demand that the Government Produce an Administrative Record of Decision-Making behind the Ross’s Announcement.

“To call this a contempt situation is not reasonable,” Flentje said. “We need significant time to address something that weighty.”

Ross’s Monday Announcement took Koh by Surprise. It came Days after she Ordered Census Data-Collection Operations to Continue through Oct. 31st, to get an Accurate Population Count.

Civil Rights Groups Sued the Secretary, arguing the Trump Administration’s move to Compress the Timeline for the Census will Undercount Minorities, Resulting in Less Federal and State Funding for the Areas they Live-In.

The Trump Administration is Appealing Koh’s Ruling that Blocked the Administration from Moving its Deadline for Data Collection from Oct. 31st to Sept. 30th, and for Reporting to the President from April 30th, 2021, to Dec. 31th, 2020.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker