Case: Gordon v. Blanche

1:26-cv-01907 | U.S. District Court for the District of District of Columbia

Filed Date: June 1, 2026

Clearinghouse coding in progress

Case Summary

[This summary is temporary while we research the case]. On June 1, 2026, two former federal prosecutors who served in the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) and prosecuted individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, filed this suit in the District of the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs—one who served as Senior Trial Counsel and was fired in June 2025, and another who served as Deputy Chief of the Section an…

[This summary is temporary while we research the case]. On June 1, 2026, two former federal prosecutors who served in the Capitol Siege Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) and prosecuted individuals involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, filed this suit in the District of the District of Columbia. The plaintiffs—one who served as Senior Trial Counsel and was fired in June 2025, and another who served as Deputy Chief of the Section and resigned under pressure in March 2025—alleged they suffered professional and personal harm after the Department of Justice (DOJ) branded the January 6 prosecutions as political in nature. Defendants included the Acting Attorney General, Associate Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Chief Executive Officer, the DOJ, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the IRS.

The complaint focused on the creation of an "Anti-Weaponization Fund," capitalized at $1,776,000,000, intended to compensate individuals alleging harm from government "weaponization," including January 6 insurrectionists. The plaintiffs asserted nine causes of action under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Constitution, alleging that the Fund violates the Appropriations Clause, the Spending Clause, the Appointments Clause, the separation of powers, the First Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment's prohibition on paying debts incurred in aid of insurrection, and they sought declaratory relief, vacatur, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. 

The case was assigned to Judge Richard J. Leon.

Summary Authors

(6/7/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73424459/parties/gordon-v-blanche/


Judge(s)

Leon, Richard J. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Eisen, Norman Larry (District of Columbia)

Hemminger, Lindsay (District of Columbia)

Kovacs-Goodman, Jacob (District of Columbia)

Zelinsky, Nathaniel Avi (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:26-cv-01907

Complaint

June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73424459/gordon-v-blanche/

Last updated June 8, 2026, 3:07 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number ADCDC-12457528) filed by MICHAEL M GORDON. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons, # 6 Summons, # 7 Summons, # 8 Summons, # 9 Summons)(Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/01/2026)

1 Civil Cover Sheet

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2 Summons

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3 Summons

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4 Summons

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5 Summons

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6 Summons

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7 Summons

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8 Summons

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9 Summons

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June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

Clearinghouse
2

NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by All Plaintiffs. Case related to Case No. 26-cv-1789. (Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/01/2026)

June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

RECAP
3

NOTICE OF RELATED CASE by All Plaintiffs. Case related to Case No. 26-cv-1719. (Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/01/2026)

June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

4

SEALED DOCUMENT filed by MICHAEL M GORDON re 1 Complaint, (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/01/2026)

June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

5

ERRATA Civil Cover Sheet by MICHAEL M GORDON re 1 Complaint,. (Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

6

NOTICE of Appearance by Nathaniel Avi Gideon Zelinsky on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Zelinsky, Nathaniel) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

7

ERRATA Notice by MICHAEL M GORDON, MICHAEL J ROMANO re 1 Complaint,. (Attachments: # 1 Errata Complaint)(Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

8

NOTICE of Appearance by Lindsay Zimliki on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Zimliki, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

9

NOTICE of Appearance by Jacob Kovacs-Goodman on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Kovacs-Goodman, Jacob) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

10

NOTICE of Appearance by Norman Larry Eisen on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Eisen, Norman) (Entered: 06/02/2026)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

Notice of Error- New Case

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

NOTICE OF NEW CASE ERROR The following error(s) need correction: Incorrect civil cover sheet. Please locate the Civil Cover Sheet (JS44) form at www.dcd.uscourts.gov/new-case-forms & file using the event Civil Cover Sheet. Invalid signature. Please file the signed document using the event Errata. All filings must have an original signature or /s/ Attorney Name to represent an electronic signature of the filer. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE is by close of business today. This case will not proceed any further until all errors are satisfied. (zmtm)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

NOTICE OF NEW CASE ERROR regarding 1 Complaint, The following error(s) need correction: Complaint must be signed by the attorney electronically filing the case. COMPLIANCE DEADLINE is by close of business today. This case will not proceed any further until all errors are satisfied. SECOND NOTICE. Continued non-compliance will result in an Order to Show Cause and/or dismissal of case. (zmtm)

June 2, 2026

June 2, 2026

11

ERRATA Notice of Related Cases by MICHAEL M GORDON, MICHAEL J ROMANO re 3 Notice of Related Case, 2 Notice of Related Case. (Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

12

SEALED DOCUMENT filed by MICHAEL M GORDON, MICHAEL J ROMANO re 1 Complaint, 4 Sealed Document (This document is SEALED and only available to authorized persons.)(Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

13

SUMMONS (8) Issued Electronically as to All Defendants, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General (Attachments: # 1 Notice and Consent)(zmtm) (Entered: 06/03/2026)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

Case Assigned/Reassigned

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

Case Assigned to Judge Richard J. Leon. (zmtm)

June 3, 2026

June 3, 2026

14

MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice :Attorney Name- Timothy J. Heaphy, Filing fee $ 100, receipt number ADCDC-12468335. Fee Status: Fee Paid. by MICHAEL M GORDON, MICHAEL J ROMANO. (Attachments: # 1 Declaration For Pro Hac Vice Admission, # 2 Text of Proposed Order)(Hemminger, Lindsay) (Entered: 06/04/2026)

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026

Case Details

State / Territory:

District of Columbia

Case Type(s):

Public Benefits/Government Services

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Key Dates

Filing Date: June 1, 2026

Case Details

Other Dockets:

District of District of Columbia 1:26-cv-01907

Recommended Citation