Supreme Court Seeks Trump Input on Iraqi Bribery Case

The Supreme Court of the United States has requested input from the Trump administration concerning an appeal filed by pharmaceutical and medical-device companies. The companies are attempting to block a lawsuit brought by American terrorism victims who allege the firms paid millions of dollars in bribes to secure medical-supply contracts with the Iraqi Ministry of Health between 2004 and 2013.

Plaintiffs in the case claim these payments financed Jaysh al-Mahdi, a militant group that controlled the Iraqi ministry during that period. The medical firms are seeking a review of a previous ruling that allowed the lawsuit to proceed, arguing against the legal basis for the claims. The court's request for administration input marks a new step in determining whether the case will move forward.