Sean Spicer loses lawsuit challenging Naval Academy Board removal
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Former Trump administration officials Sean Spicer and Russ Vought have had their lawsuit challenging their removal from the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors dismissed by a federal judge in Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: The suit argued that President Biden had "no statutory authority" to dismiss them from the board. But U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that federal law "did not insulate" former White House press secretary Spicer and former Office of Management and Budget director Vought from presidential removal.
What to watch: Conservative group America First Legal, representing Spicer and Vought, have indicated they will appeal Monday's ruling.
What they're saying: "At a minimum, what the government did here is a break from longstanding practices and norms, and we believe that the district court's analysis likely was incorrect," Reed Rubinstein, who represents the plaintiffs, told Bloomberg on Tuesday.