Attorney General William Barr testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “The Justice Department’s investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election” on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 1, 2019.
Clodagh Kilcoyne | Reuters
A second judge has denied a request from the Justice Department to switch up the legal team fighting to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census.
The latest order came Wednesday in Maryland.
In a separate case, a federal judge in New York said Tuesday the Justice Department couldn’t change lawyers so late in the dispute without giving satisfactory reasons.
The rulings deal a significant blow to the department and Attorney General William Barr, who had personally approved changing up the team.
The Supreme Court has barred including a citizenship question, at least temporarily.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the judge’s decision.
In a third case, a judge in San Francisco hasn’t yet agreed to allow the Justice Department to replace its legal team.
