Justice Department Fighting Lederer's Claim

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York is opposing a motion by Black Friday Defendant and Poker Pro Howard Lederer which claims to negate the civil claims against him by citing the Di Cristina judgement, which found poker is indeed a game of skill.

Lederer's attorneys are trying to persuade Judge Leonard B. Sand that the Di Cristina judgement has created a situation that should require the court to further consider the civil claims against Full Tilt Poker and its former owners who stand accused of violating the Illegal Gambling Business Act.

Preet Bharara, who is working the U.S. government's side of the case has written an argument in response to Lederer's appeal saying that the government does not apply, stating that the Weinstein finding is not binding. He then went on to spell out the criminal cases against payment processors John Campos and Chad Ely, who had a similar argument rejected by Judge Lewis Kaplan.