A prominent Washington lawyer is leading an effort to lure the Supreme Court into the dispute over the appointment of Matthew Whitaker as the new US acting attorney-general.
Lawyer Thomas Goldstein says the high court should rule quickly that President Donald Trump's appointment of Whitaker to temporarily lead the Justice Department is illegal.
Goldstein was part of a legal team that is challenging Whitaker's appointment on Friday in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights.
The filing asks the court to name Deputy Attorney-General Rod Rosenstein as a party in the case, instead of Whitaker.
There is no deadline for action by the justices.
Goldstein is part of the legal team that is mounting a similar challenge in federal district court in Maryland.
Australian Associated Press
