OFFICE OF SENATOR MARK DAYTON v. HANSON
Supreme Court Cases
550 U.S. 511 (2007)
Case Overview
Legal Principle at Issue
Whether an elected official firing a staff member is a legislative act protected from judicial scrutiny.
Action
Petition denied or appeal dismissed. Petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition.
Facts/Syllabus
Prior to January 3, 2007, Mark Dayton represented the State of Minnesota in the U.S. Senate. Appellee, Brad Hanson, was employed in the Senator's Fort Snelling office prior to his discharge by the senator, which he alleges occurred on July 3, 2002.
Hanson brought this action for damages against the Senator's office, invoking the District Court's jurisdiction under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, and alleging violations of three other federal statutes. The District Court denied appellant's motion to dismiss the complaint based on a claim of immunity under the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed, the senator's office invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.