WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- A Washington, D.C., attorney who specializes in defending marijuana possession cases and sued over the decision to delay the District's attorney general election has been told to stop campaigning for the office.
WAMU 88.5 reported Monday that the District's campaign finance office told Paul Zukerberg, who filed for the office earlier this month, he must cease his campaign.
In an email Thursday, the office also told Zukerberg it was not accepting the campaign registration documents for his official committee, which were filed two weeks ago.
Zukerberg told the radio station this week he plans to fight the move.
"We are taking to appropriate steps to keep this campaign going," he said. "I will not give up this fight and I will not be shut down."
Earlier this month, a federal judge denied Zukerberg's request for an injunction in his challenge over the delayed attorney general election.
The lawsuit was originally filed in District of Columbia Superior Court in September.
The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at the request of the defendants, the District's Board of Elections and its council.
In his Nov. 15 memorandum opinion, Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg said the federal court lacks jurisdiction since the law -- passed by the council and approved without Mayor Vincent Gray's signature -- isn't final.
"While Zukerberg raises an interesting challenge, the court has no power to rule on that question today, as none of his claims is ripe for review," the judge wrote in his 15-page opinion.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.
D.C. campaign finance office tells Zukerberg to stop campaigning for AG
