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U.S. Lobbying Firm Announces Court Victory in Tinubu-Linked Case, Says Filings Now Before Federal Judge
U.S. Lobbying Firm Announces Court Victory in Tinubu-Linked Case, Says Filings Now Before Federal Judge
A United States-based political advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has announced that its legal submissions in a high-profile federal court case involving Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have been officially accepted and entered into the docket of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The firm made the announcement in a statement published on its official X page, saying its Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and Supplemental Notice of Evidentiary Exhibits had been formally docketed in Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-01816-BAH.
The development, according to the firm, means that the submissions are now officially part of the court record and available for consideration by the court.
In a strongly worded statement, the firm said:
“We are happy to announce that our Motion for Leave to File Brief Amicus Curiae and Supplemental Notice of Evidentiary Exhibits have been “officially accepted” and docketed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Both submissions have now been officially entered on the federal docket in Greenspan v. Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-01816-BAH. We thank President Tinubu (@officialABAT), his advisers, and his ministers for refusing to stop digging themselves into a hole.
Von Batten-Montague-York said the submissions were aimed at ensuring that the court had access to information concerning public statements allegedly made by the Nigerian Presidency and senior government officials about the controversy underlying the case.
The firm particularly focused on what it described as a contradiction between publicly discussing the matter and simultaneously seeking privacy protections in the U.S. federal court proceedings.
It stated:
“Our submissions are now officially part of the docket and before the Court for consideration, regardless of whether President #Tinubu opposes them. This is a major victory for the American and Nigerian people.
“Our objective was to ensure that the Court is fully aware that the Nigerian Presidency and senior Nigerian officials have publicly discussed this case while President #Tinubu was simultaneously seeking privacy protection before the Court. You cannot demand privacy in a U.S. federal court while publicly litigating the same controversy and attacking those advocating for disclosure.
The lobbying firm further said it was satisfied with the development even if the court ultimately decides against granting its Motion for Leave.
According to the firm, the immediate significance of the development is that the evidence and materials contained in its submissions are now before the court for consideration.
It said:
“We are very pleased with this outcome because, regardless of whether the Court ultimately grants or denies our Motion for Leave, our submissions are now on the docket, and the Court has before it evidence concerning public statements by President #Tinubu’s officials and relatives about the underlying controversy, as well as their public mischaracterizations of facts relating to the case.”
The firm also directed members of the public interested in examining the documents to the same link it had previously provided for FBI and DEA records, saying its court submissions could be found in a folder titled “Amicus Curiae.”
The announcement has added another layer to the ongoing legal and public controversy surrounding the case, particularly over access to U.S. government records and the extent to which information connected to the dispute should remain protected from disclosure.
However, the filing being docketed does not in itself amount to a final judicial victory or mean that the court has endorsed the claims contained in the submissions. The court is still expected to determine whether to grant the firm’s Motion for Leave and what weight should be attached to the evidence and arguments presented.
Von Batten-Montague-York ended its statement by tagging several prominent U.S. political figures, government agencies and international media organisations, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the FBI, DEA, U.S. Department of Justice, White House, CNN, BBC, AFP, Reuters, The Washington Post, Politico, The New York Times and New York Post.
The firm described the development as a “major victory for the American and Nigerian people,” signalling that it intends to continue pressing its case
as the proceedings move forward.
