Texas lawsuit challenging Biden student loan rule transferred to more liberal court
Chris Pandolfo
April 18, 2023
Biden administration has previously accused conservatives of forum shopping in Northern District of Texas
A federal court in Texas that has issued several rulings favorable to conservatives sided with the Biden administration Monday in a case challenging a new Education Department student loan rule, finding the lawsuit was improperly filed there.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Donald Trump appointee, agreed with the Justice Department that a lawsuit against new regulations for the Education Department’s borrower defense to repayment program should be transferred to the Western District of Texas in Austin, moving the case away from the Northern District of Texas, a court dominated by Republican-appointed judges.
Several high-profile cases challenging President Biden’s policies have been filed with the Northern District of Texas, where critics have claimed conservative groups are forum shopping for favorable decisions. The Justice Department has outright accused Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of “judge shopping” by filing cases challenging various administration policies in the district.
