US won’t ask Supreme Court to hear lawsuit over pandemic ban on evictions

Nov 6 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration has opted not to appeal a ruling that could expose the federal government to billions of dollars in legal claims over its COVID-era eviction moratorium.

The Justice Department allowed a November 3 deadline to elapse without petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, leaving in place a June decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that allowed landlords to sue the government for losses due to the eviction ban.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Thursday. Creighton Magid, a lead attorney for the landlords involved in the lawsuit, said the case will now return to the Federal Claims Court for consideration of damages.