#pillard
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chrisgeidner.bsky.social
OH, GOD, NO.
BEFORE: Pillard, Katsas, and Rao, Circuit Judges
April 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: DC Circuit upholds district court order blocking IRS from sharing tax return information with ICE. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Before: MILLETT, PILLARD and WILKINS, Circuit Judges. Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge PILLARD. PILLARD, Circuit Judge: After the Watergate scandal exposed executive branch abuses of U.S. taxpayers' information to harass the Administration's enemies, Congress enacted a prohibition against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sharing tax return information with any other federal agency unless the requesting agency meets stringent conditions. In response to requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the summer of 2025, the IRS developed a specialized procedure for disclosing return information. The procedure failed to ensure that ICE's requests complied with statutory requirements. The IRS nonetheless began using the procedure to disclose tens of thousands of records. Several groups sued. The IRS had turned over more than 47,000 records by the time the district court stayed the IRS from using the new procedure and preliminarily enjoined further disclosures without notice to the court. We affirm.
September 8, 2026 at 2:41 PM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Whatcha doing, Judges Millett and Pillard?
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Jul 11
I regret to inform you ... that the *new* D.C. motions panel just granted DOJ an "administrative stay" of Judge Moss's 128-page class certification/summary judgment ruling in a case over Trump's "invasion" proclamation after DOJ complained about class certification (as well as disagreeing re: INA).
United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT No. 25-5243 September Term, 2024 1:25-cv-00306-RDM Filed On: July 11, 2025 Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, et al., Appellees V. Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in her official capacity, et al., Appellants BEFORE: Millett, Pillard, and Katsas, Circuit Judges ORDER Upon consideration of the emergency motion for stay pending appeal, which includes a request for an administrative stay, the opposition thereto, and the reply; and the motions to participate as amici curiae and the lodged amicus briefs, it is ORDERED that the district court's July 2, 2025, orders be administratively stayed pending further order of the court except as to the named individual plaintiffs. Appellants represented in the district court that they will not employ Presidential Proclamation 10888 "as a basis for removal of any of the named Plaintiffs currently in the United States during the pendency of this litigation." Resp. to Emergency Mot. to Stay Removal [Dkt. 21] at 1. The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for stay pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion. See D.C. Circuit Handbook of Practice and Internal Procedures 33 (2024). It is United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT No. 25-5243 September Term, 2024 FURTHER ORDERED that the motions to participate as amici curiae be granted. The Clerk is directed to file the lodged amicus briefs. Per Curiam FOR THE COURT: Clifton B. Cislak, Clerk BY: /s/ Selena R. Gancasz Deputy Clerk
July 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
anthonymkreis.bsky.social
Judge Pillard is right. Time to go en banc.
December 9, 2025 at 8:01 PM
racheldeering.bsky.social
Maurice Pillard Verneuil, 1897.
Repeated pattern of red squirrels amongst autumn leaves on dark brown background, design.
October 4, 2026 at 8:27 AM
joshgerstein.bsky.social
JUST IN: DC Circuit denies Trump admin bid to carry out firing of Voice of America Director Michael Abramowitz. 3-0. Judges Millett (Obama), Pillard (Obama), Garcia (Biden). Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:09 PM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
This is an important ruling from two very careful judges, Millett and Pillard.

And a dissent from Rao.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Sep 2
BREAKING: On a 2-1 vote, D.C. Circuit denies the Trump administration's request to let Trump fire a Federal Trade commissioner during appeals.

Citing Humphrey's Executor, about the FTC: "To grant a stay would be to defy the Supreme Court's decisions that bind our judgments. That we will not do."
United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT No. 25-5261 September Term, 2025 President Trump fired Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter without cause. The district court ordered her reinstatement. The government now seeks a stay of that decision pending appeal. That motion must be denied. The government has no likelihood of success on appeal given controlling and directly on point Supreme Court precedent. Specifically, ninety years ago, a unanimous Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Federal Trade Commission Act's for-cause removal protection for Federal Trade Commissioners. See Humphrey's Executor v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935). Over the ensuing decades-and fully informed of the substantial executive power exercised by the Commission-the Supreme Court has repeatedly and expressly left Humphrey's Executor in place, and so precluded Presidents from removing Commissioners at will. Then just four months ago, the Supreme Court stated that adherence to extant precedent like Humphrey's Executor controls in resolving stay motions. To grant a stay would be to defy the Supreme Court's decisions that bind our judgments. That we will not do.
September 2, 2025 at 10:33 PM
joshgerstein.bsky.social
BREAKING: DC Circuit, 2-1, reinstates Biden appointee Rebecca Slaughter to FTC despite Trump attempt to fire her without cited cause. Majority: Millett (Obama), Pillard (Obama). Dissent: Rao (Trump) www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
SlaughterTrumpCADCOrd090225
www.documentcloud.org
September 2, 2025 at 9:56 PM
restot50.bsky.social
Maurice Pillard (detail)
July 6, 2025 at 7:25 AM
racheldeering.bsky.social
Snowdrops, Perce-neige, La plante et ses applications ornementales, Grasset, Eugène (Compiler), Verneuil, Maurice Pillard (Artist).
Illustration of snowdrop and foliage designs.
January 16, 2026 at 5:40 AM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: The D.C. Circuit, on a 2-1 vote, bars the CFPB from terminations pending appellate review of a district court injunction. Judge Pillard (Obama) and Katsas (Trump) take the action over the disset of Judge Rao (Trump).
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Apr 28
UPDATE: In the CFPB litigation, as discovery was produced, DOJ claimed several documents as privileged. Given that most relate to Paoletta, whose declaration was the key justification of the RIF, plaintiffs said, basically: "Hold up, you can't say he authorized this *and* we can't tell you why."
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION, et al., Plaintiffs, v. RUSSELL VOUGHT, in his official capacity as Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, et al., Defendants. Case No. !"-cv-&'(-ABJ MOTION TO COMPEL The defendants claim that they did not violate the preliminary injunction because they “determined, after a particularized assessment,” that the employees they RIFed were “unnecessary to the performance of [CFPB’s] statutory duties.” To support this assertion, they submitted a declaration from Mark Paoletta, the Chief Legal Officer of the CFPB, claiming to have conducted the required assessment—along with Victoria Dorfman and Daniel Shapiro. Paoletta Decl. ¶ Y. Yet now, the defendants seek to withhold information related to how they conducted that supposed assessment under the guise of privilege. They cannot have it both ways. The defendants cannot rely on Paoletta’s testimony and then shield the documents that would enable the plaintiffs and the Court to assess that testimony. Given the centrality of Paoletta’s purported assessment to the showcause hearing, this Court should reject (or at least investigate in camera) the defendants’ attempts to hide the discussions regarding this very assessment.
April 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM
kyledcheney.bsky.social
JUST IN: USAID funding recipients have until 1pm to respond to the Trump administration's emergency appeal of the order to unfreeze spending.

The panel is:
-Pillard (Obama)
-Pan (Biden)
-Garcia (Biden)
February 26, 2025 at 3:20 PM
racheldeering.bsky.social
Perce–neige from La Plante et ses Applications ornementales, illustr. Maurice Pillard Verneuil, 1886.
Botanical illustration of snowdrops.
February 23, 2026 at 4:25 AM
jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Judge Pillard has it right in dissent. knightcolumbia.org/documents/pa...
June 7, 2025 at 12:43 AM
racheldeering.bsky.social
Maurice Pillard Verneuil, 1897.
Repeated pattern of red squirrels amongst autumn leaves on dark brown background, design.
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 AM
gartmartin9.bsky.social
Pillard applies the law--Katsas and Rao get their jurisprudence from Catturd2
April 18, 2025 at 11:55 PM
joshgerstein.bsky.social
It was a 2-1 ruling. Judges Katsas & Rao (Trump appointees) in majority. Judge Pillard (Obama appointee) in dissent.
April 18, 2025 at 11:50 PM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: DC Circuit panel allows the Trump administration to block funding for and take other actions against Voice of America and similar media orgs during DOJ's appeal of losses below.

Majority by Judges Katsas and Rao, both Trump appointees. Judge Pillard, an Obama appointee, dissents.
BEFORE: Pillard*, Katsas, and Rao, Circuit Judges *Judge Pillard dissents from the grant of the motions for stay. ORDER Upon consideration of the motions for stay pending appeal filed in the above-captioned cases, the responses thereto, and the replies; and the administrative stay entered on May 1, 2025, it is ORDERED that the motions for stay pending appeal be granted. The following orders, or parts thereof, are stayed pending further order of the court: In No. 25-5144, provisions (1) and (2) of the district court's preliminary injunction filed April 22, 2025; In No. 25-5145, the district court's preliminary injunction filed April 22, 2025, to the extent the relief granted falls within provisions (1) and (2) of the April 22, 2025 preliminary injunction in No. 25-5144; In No. 25-5150, the district court's preliminary injunction filed April 25, 2025; In No. 25-5151, the district court's preliminary injunction filed April 25, 2025. A per curiam concurring statement and a dissenting statement of Judge Pillard are attached. It is FURTHER ORDERED that the administrative stay entered in Nos. 25-5144, 25- 5150, and 25-5151 be dissolved.
May 3, 2025 at 6:35 PM
rparloff.bsky.social
The DC Cir panel (Judge Childs with Judge Pillard) gives big victory to @aclu.org 's clients, upholding Judge Moss's ruling. Judge Walker dissents in part.
April 24, 2026 at 3:04 PM
joshgerstein.bsky.social
BREAKING: DC Circuit panel splits, 2-1, denying Trump administration's bid to move forward with firing of Inter-American Foundation Prez Sara Aviel. Majority: Katsas (Trump), Pillard (Obama). Dissent: Rao (Trump). Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
June 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
harrylitman.bsky.social
Pillard in dissent, 100% right: “The majority does an exemplary judge a grave disservice by overstepping its bounds to upend his effort to vindicate the judicial authority that is our shared trust."
August 8, 2025 at 3:55 PM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Looking back, we did know this at least as of Dec 17, when they granted en banc review.

This means one of the four Republican appointees won't be participating. The makeup will be 7 Dem appointees & 3 GOP appointees.

The original panel was Rao and Katsas (Trump), with Pillard (Obama) dissenting.
Before: PILLARD, KATSAS and RAo, Circuit Judges. Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge RAo. Dissenting opinion filed by Circuit Judge PILLARD.
February 18, 2026 at 9:23 PM
joshgerstein.bsky.social
JUST IN: DC Cir, 3-0, denies Trump admin request to pause lower court ruling that immigration detention facilities allow zero-notice visits by lawmakers. Pillard/Wilkins (Obama), Rao (Trump). Rao writes solo, saying Trump likely to win but no harm shown media.cadc.uscourts.gov/orders/docs/...
media.cadc.uscourts.gov
May 8, 2026 at 7:36 PM
jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Judge Pillard (again) has this right. The First Amendment is not an insult to the President's dignity.
June 7, 2025 at 1:07 AM
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Judge Rao (Trump) would have issued an administrative stay of the full order, meaning this order was apparently agreed to by Judges Katsas (Trump) & Pillard (Obama), given that Pillard did not note her dissent.

Order: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
April 17, 2025 at 3:24 AM