WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Friday weighed in on a lawsuit brought against Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s coronavirus stay-at-home orders, with a rare federal court filing in support of the legal challenge he faces over his emergency powers.
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Department of Justice building is bathed in morning light at sunrise in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2020. REUTERS/Mary F. Calvert/File Photo
The U.S. Justice Department’s filing in Illinois marked another escalation by the administration in confronting state governors it sees as going too far with restrictions meant to quell the coronavirus pandemic.
The Justice Department asserted that Pritzker, a Democrat, acted improperly when he removed the case in question from state court, where it was filed by Republican state Representative Darren Bailey, to a federal court.
A similar lawsuit filed in state court by Republican legislators against Democratic Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and his top public health officer led to a state Supreme C