WASHINGTON _ A secretive battle over a grand jury subpoena in a case believed to be tied to Special Counsel Robert Mueller moved closer to resolution with a ruling in favor of the government.
A three-page court order on Tuesday shed a bit more light on a case that has spurred widespread speculation over who and what prosecutors are going after. The court ordered an unidentified company _ described only as a "corporation" owned by "Country A" _ to surrender "information" to the grand jury.
"We are unconvinced that Country A's law truly prohibits the corporation from complying with the subpoena," a three-judge panel in Washington said.
The court gave just a few other clues as to the identity of the party, and all documents except the ruling remain sealed in the case.
It said that the U.S. "satisfied its burden of establishing a reasonable probability that this 'action is based upon ... an act outside the territory of the United States in connection with a commercial activity of the foreign state elsewhere' and that the 'act cause(d) a direct effect in the United States.'"
The panel said the corporation would have to pay $5,000 a week for failing to comply with a lower-court order.
Politico has previously reported that the matter is related to the Mueller investigation.
