• DOJ lawyers inadvertently filed a memo questioning the legality of Trump’s congestion pricing case.
• The memo indicated the U.S. DOT could likely lose its fight against the toll program.
• Legal team replaced after the mishap raised concerns of potential sabotage.

In a significant development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) inadvertently filed a confidential document outlining serious legal flaws in the Trump administration's attempt to terminate New York City's congestion pricing program. The 11-page letter, submitted to the Department of Transportation, noted that Secretary Sean Duffy's legal reasoning faces "considerable litigation risk" and is "unlikely" to succeed in court, according to abcnews.

Following this revelation, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) took the extraordinary step of replacing the lawyers defending it. The change was prompted by concerns that the lawyers had undermined the department’s case, especially as the memo suggested that Duffy's strategy was fundamentally flawed. The memorandum implied that the department might fare better by framing the termination as a change in agency priorities rather than questioning the legality of the tolls, as reported by nytimes and thehill.

The leaked document, which was briefly available for public viewing, has raised alarms regarding the integrity of the administration's legal strategy. Federal sources have indicated that the memo's disclosure could have been an act of "politically-motivated sabotage," potentially complicating ongoing litigation with supporters of congestion pricing, according to nytimes.

As the legal battle continues, stakeholders are awaiting a federal judge's decision on whether the contents of the memo will remain confidential or become part of the public record. Experts suggest that even if the memo is sealed, its revelations could irreparably damage the administration's case, as indicated by legal analysts and supporters of the congestion pricing initiative, despite concerns raised by abcnews, thehill, and nytimes.