October Term 2014 · Docket 13-894
Does a federal statute alone prohibit disclosing air marshal cuts?
The dispute centers on whether a whistleblower law requires specific regulations to protect security data.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Mr. Gershengorn argued the statute directly prohibits detrimental disclosures.
Mr. Katyal argued the law restrains agencies, not empowers them.
Justice Kennedy asked if statutes alone create disclosure prohibitions.
Justice Scalia stated the conduct is prohibited by regulations.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-11 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 47-7 — Transcript, file page 56, lines 47-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-29
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case tests the scope of federal whistleblower protections. It asks if a general statute suffices to ban specific security disclosures.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 4, 2014.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 39-43
What each side wants
The government wants the disclosure ruled unlawful under the statute.
The employee wants the disclosure protected as a lawful whistleblower act.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
What each side says
The government argues the statute directly prohibits detrimental security disclosures.
The employee argues the law restrains agencies rather than empowering them.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
What the justices asked
Justice Sotomayor asked about prior confidential notice distribution.
Chief Justice Roberts asked if specific flight cuts could be stated publicly.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-11 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 47-7 — Transcript, file page 56, lines 47-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-29
Why it matters
This defines the boundary between public safety and employee speech rights.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-11 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 29-47 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 29-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-5 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 51-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 47-7 — Transcript, file page 56, lines 47-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-15 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 51-3 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 51-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-41 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-5 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 49-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-29 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-29
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 33-5 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 33-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 19-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-45 — Transcript, file page 54, lines 49-45
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.