League of Women Voters v. Newby, No. 19-7027 (D.C. Cir. 2020)
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In the underlying lawsuit, voting rights organizations alleged that the new Executive Director, Brian Newby, acted outside the scope of his authority by changing the Commission's policy on documentary proof of citizenship requirements. Eagle Forum subsequently moved, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(b), to permissively intervene for the limited purpose of gaining access to the sealed briefs and exhibits containing materials related to Commissioner Christy McCormick's testimony. Two years later, the district court denied Eagle Forum's motion in a Minute Order.
The DC Circuit first held that the district court's order qualifies as an appealable collateral order. Under MetLife, Inc. v. Financial Stability Oversight Council, 865 F.3d 661 (D.C. Cir. 2017), the court held that Eagle Forum may intervene for the limited purpose of seeking to unseal references to the McCormick deposition. In so ruling, the court emphasized that this does not mean that those materials must be unsealed. Under the court's decision in United States v. Hubbard, 650 F.2d 293 (D.C. Cir. 1980), the district court will still need to determine whether countervailing interests, including the government's privilege claims, justify continued sealing.
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