A mistakenly filed memo reveals the U.S. government’s legal team believes it’s unlikely they can defend Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s decision to block New York’s congestion pricing, according to court records. The internal April 11 letter was briefly posted to a federal court site and assessed the legal standing as weak.
While the memo offers a potential workaround via the Office of Management and Budget, experts like Columbia Law’s Michael Gerrard say it could take years and may not succeed. The U.S. attorney’s office called the filing an “honest error” and removed it quickly.
The MTA is seeking court intervention to prevent Duffy from cutting off federal funding. Meanwhile, several legal challenges continue, including one from Assemblymember Jake Blumencranz.
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