The Supreme Court justices were expected on Friday to discuss a request from a foreign mystery company that’s reportedly part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion in the U.S. presidential campaign, CNN reported.
The unidentified corporation owned by a foreign government has been battling a subpoena from a District of Columbia grand jury, arguing that compliance would violate its country’s laws. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the company must comply and imposed fines until it did.
Now the company wants to file an appeal with the Supreme Court — but under seal to keep details about the corporation and the case quiet. The seal issue is the only one the justices were to consider Friday. The request itself was made in sealed documents.
The company already owes some $500,000 in fines for refusing to comply with the subpoena, according to CNBC.
It’s not known what kind of operation the targeted corporation is or which foreign government it’s linked to. But a law firm involved in the subpoena challenge, Alston & Bird, has represented a Russian oligarch and a contractor for the Russian government, CNN has reported.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed a motion earlier this month to intervene in the case so it can move for unsealing the case and making the documents public — with appropriate redactions for sensitive information.
“The right of access is fundamental to a democratic state because it ensures that the public can scrutinize the conduct of its court system, participate in debates about public affairs, and contribute to self-governance,” stated the motion.
