Justia U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Opinion Summaries

Relator filed a quit tam action under the False Claims Act against Chase, alleging that Chase falsely claimed compliance with a Settlement. Relator also alleged that Chase falsely claimed compliance with the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The DC Circuit disagreed with the district court's conclusion that plaintiff was required to exhaust his contentions pursuant to the procedures of the Settlement. However, the court affirmed the dismissal of the claims regarding the Settlement on a related basis. In this case, the Monitor was aware of the practices and concluded that Chase was in compliance. To the extent that relator vaguely alleged that Chase sought credit for loans that otherwise did not qualify for relief under the Settlement, the complaint nowhere identified any ineligible loan Chase submitted for credit, alleged that the Monitor was unaware of any such loan's disqualifying characteristics, or claimed that the cumulative value of any such loans exceeded the $250 million buffer. Finally, the court agreed with the district court that relator failed to state a claim that Chase falsely certified HAMP compliance because he did not allege, with factual allegations in support, that the certifications were materially false. View "United States ex rel. Schneider v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A." on Justia Law

Before the DC Circuit's decision in Albany Engineering Corp. v. FERC, 548 F.3d 1071 (D.C. Cir. 2008), parallel federal and New York state regulatory regimes required downstream hydroelectric facilities to reimburse their headwater counterparts for certain costs. Albany changed that dual-track regulatory scheme by holding that the New York State assessment regime was preempted by section 10(f) of the Federal Power Act (FPA), which entitled the District to recover only "interest, maintenance, and depreciation" costs. In the wake of Albany, Erie petitioned FERC to credit it for costs the District had assessed it in excess of the federally mandated costs. The Commission denied Erie's request and denied a rehearing, based on its determining that Erie and the District had formally settled their state law dispute over headwater charges in 2006. The DC Circuit denied Erie's petition to vacate the Commission's orders, rejecting Erie's contention that the Commission's two 2015 orders ran contrary to section 10(f) of the FPA; the 2006 Settlement; the Commission's regulations; and a "legion of prior, unchallenged Commission orders." View "Erie Boulevard Hydropower, LP v. FERC" on Justia Law

Industry and the Unions petitioned for review of the Department of Labor's final rule regulating exposure to silica. Industry raised five issues, all of which the DC Circuit rejected. The court also rejected the Unions' challenge to the construction standard's 30-day trigger for medical surveillance. The court held, however, that OSHA failed to adequately explain its decision to omit medical removal protections from the Rule and remanded for further consideration of the issue. View "North America's Building Trade Unions v. OSHA" on Justia Law

Plaintiffs challenged Maryland's proposed "Purple Line" light rail project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 49 U.S.C. 5309. The DC Circuit reversed the district court's order directing the preparation of a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and vacated the Record of Decision, holding that the circumstances warranted deference by the court to FTA's (and Maryland's) reasonable, fact-intensive, technical determination that preparation of a SEIS was not required. The court affirmed the district court's order rejecting three challenges to the final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) presented on appeal, holding that the NEPA process adopted by FTA and Maryland for the Purple Line — an enormously complex project involving coordination between multiple government and private actors — fulfilled NEPA's purposes. View "Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail v. FTA" on Justia Law

The DC Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of plaintiff's action against the United States under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, 26 U.S.C. 7433(a). Plaintiff invoked section 7433 to recover damages he claims to have suffered as a result of a mix-up relating to the refund due to him on his 2011 income tax. The court held that section 7433 did not provide a jurisdictional path for plaintiff's action because the statute waives the government's sovereign immunity only for damages suffered in connection with collection of federal taxes, and plaintiff's injury (if any) related to collection of a student loan debt. View "Ivy v. Commissioner" on Justia Law

The DC Circuit reversed the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the FBI in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552 et seq., case regarding information related to the use of undercover tactics involving impersonation of the media and creation of fake news. The court held that the FBI failed to demonstrate that it conducted a search for the requested records, using methods which could be reasonably expected to produce the information requested. Because material factual questions remained as to the adequacy of the FBI's search, the court remanded for further proceedings. View "Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press v. FBI" on Justia Law

The DC Circuit dismissed NTCH's petition for review of an Enforcement Bureau order based on lack of jurisdiction. The court held that it had no jurisdiction to entertain NTCH's challenge to the order issued by the Bureau because NTCH did not first seek review with the Commission as a condition precedent to judicial review. The court further held that, even if NTCH's claim fell within the compass of 47 U.S.C. 208(b), the court still did not have jurisdiction to address it. In this case, the order issued by the Bureau was not an order of the Commission. View "NTCH, Inc. v. FCC" on Justia Law

U.S.-flagged ships on the high seas do not fall within the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's (FSIA), 26 U.S.C. 1605, non-commercial torts exception. Plaintiffs filed suit alleging that Israeli Defense Forces attacked the vessel they were on and detained them in violation of international law. The DC Circuit affirmed the dismissal of the complaint based on Israel's immunity from suit, finding that neither the "non-commercial torts" nor "terrorism" exceptions of the FSIA allowed jurisdiction. The court rejected plaintiffs' contention that Congress' amendment of the FSIA exception eliminated the requirement that a state be designated a sponsor of terrorism for the exception to apply. View "Schermerhorn v. State of Israel" on Justia Law

The DC Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment to National Archives in an action filed by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552 et seq., seeking disclosure of all versions of indictments against Hillary Rodham Clinton arising out of the Independent Counsel's investigation begun in 1994. The court held that Judicial Watch failed to demonstrate exceptional interests warranting disclosure of a draft indictment that implicated serious privacy concerns. Nor did Judicial Watch show that a segregability analysis was not conducted. View "Judicial Watch, Inc. v. NARA" on Justia Law

SPP, a regional transmission organization (RTO), filed with FERC revisions to its tariff that reflected an agreement with Integrated System entities to integrate their facilities. Pursuant to the requirements of section 205 of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 824d, SPP filed with FERC revisions to its tariff that reflected the parties' agreement. FERC approved the revisions over the objections of Kansas. The DC Circuit denied Kansas' petition for review, holding that FERC accurately described the agreement as reciprocal; Kansas misread various precedents and the court rejected its contention that the arrangement violated critical norms of ratemaking; the court saw no basis for a claim of undue discrimination; and the court rejected Kansas' arguments regarding SPP's reliance on a study commissioned by the IS Parties. Finally, FERC did not abuse its discretion by deciding not to hold an evidentiary hearing on the disputed features of the record underlying its approval of the merger. View "State Corp. Commission of KS v. FERC" on Justia Law