The Justice Department has asked a federal judge in Northern California to pause its appeal of a March order that temporarily blocked the government from labeling Anthropic a national-security supply-chain risk. DOJ told Judge Rita Lin it wants to await a related decision from the D.C. Circuit, arguing that court's reasoning could affect the California case. The D.C. Circuit rejected Anthropic's earlier pause request on April 8 and has set expedited merits briefing with oral arguments on May 19. The dispute comes amid federal efforts to gain access to Anthropic's Mythos AI and the Defense Department's risk designation.
DOJ Asks California Judge To Pause Anthropic Appeal Ahead Of D.C. Circuit Ruling
The Department of Justice on Wednesday asked U.S. District Judge Rita Lin in Northern California to pause the department's appeal of a March ruling that temporarily barred the government from designating the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic as a national-security supply-chain risk.
In an eight-page filing, DOJ attorneys requested that Judge Lin freeze the appeal — which the department filed earlier this month — until a separate panel of judges at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decides related legal questions about the supply-chain risk designation.
"At an absolute minimum, the D.C. Circuit's reasoning is likely to bear on the issues presented in this case, such that it would benefit the parties to await that decision before briefing nearly identical issues in this case,"
DOJ lawyers argued that the D.C. Circuit's forthcoming opinion could make it unnecessary for Judge Lin to resolve the same legal issues in California, potentially avoiding duplicative briefing and inconsistent rulings.
Because of a quirk in federal law, Anthropic filed parallel challenges in both Northern California and the D.C. Circuit in March, creating overlapping litigation. On April 8, a three-judge panel at the D.C. Circuit rejected Anthropic's request to pause the supply-chain risk designation; that court set an expedited schedule and scheduled oral arguments for May 19.
DOJ said Anthropic's legal team did not consent to the motion and plans to file a written response after reviewing the government's filing. An Anthropic spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Wider Context
The government's effort to pause the appeal comes as federal agencies seek greater access to Anthropic's new Mythos AI model. That effort has been complicated by the Defense Department's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk and by previously heated rhetoric from senior officials.
Senior White House officials met last week with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss potential cybersecurity concerns around Mythos. President Donald Trump also told CNBC that Anthropic executives are "very smart people" and said a deal with the company is "possible."
Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.
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