A foreign state-owned firm turned to the Supreme Court after a lower federal court rejected the company’s efforts to block a grand jury subpoena for records. | Zach Gibson/Getty Images The Mueller Report Mystery firm fighting Mueller won't get Supreme Court appeal The battle has been one of the more enigmatic subplots of Mueller's just-concluded probe.

The Supreme Court won't hear the appeal of a foreign state-owned firm that has been fighting a subpoena from special counsel Robert Mueller.

The battle — which has led to a hefty court-imposed fine on the firm — has been one of the more enigmatic subplots of Mueller's just-concluded multi-year probe that found the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russia on its election meddling efforts.


The unidentified firm had turned to the Supreme Court after a lower federal court rejected the company’s efforts to block a grand jury subpoena for records.

That request was turned down on Monday, however. The order did not explain the decision, nor did it note dissents. Four of the nine justices must vote to accept a case.

Lawyers for the firm did not respond to a request for comment on the high court's action.

The identities of the firm and foreign country involved remain mysteries, but POLITICO last year first reported on Mueller's apparent involvement in the dispute.

Lawyers for the firm argued that the company should not be subject to a subpoena in a U.S. criminal investigation because it is entirely owned by a foreign government and contended that complying with the subpoena would break the foreign country’s laws.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals refused to overturn the district court’s ruling against the firm in December. The company later won a temporary stay of contempt from Chief Justice John Roberts, but that stay was eventually dissolved, making the firm subject to a $50,000-a-day legal fine imposed by a lower court as long as it refuses to turn over the requested information.

Attorney General William Barr on Sunday sent a four-page summary of Mueller’s probe to Congress, in which he said the investigation found no election meddling conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. But Barr said Mueller declined to make a final determination on whether the president obstructed justice.

Mueller's spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO Monday that as Mueller's office winds down, the case will be handled by prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington.

A spokesperson for that office declined comment when asked whether it plans to keep pressing the mystery company for the information Mueller was seeking.

Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.