Nearly 150 Retired Judges File Brief Supporting Anthropic in Pentagon Fight

Nearly 150 retired federal and state judges have filed an amicus brief in support of Anthropic in its dispute with the Department of War, according to Business Insider.

The brief, filed on Tuesday, argued that the Department of War's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk to national security was legally unfounded. The judges wrote that the department "misinterpreted the statute and ignored the necessary procedures," and said they were duty-bound to call the label unlawful.

The core of the judges' argument: Anthropic is not asking the department to contract with it. Anthropic and the department have already agreed the department will not use Anthropic services under their current terms, since Anthropic declined to permit fully autonomous weapons use and mass surveillance capabilities. The judges' position is that the department is free to choose its contractors, but cannot use the supply-chain risk designation to punish Anthropic in its dealings with other government agencies and private businesses.

"Instead, Anthropic is asking only that it not be punished on its way out the door," the judges wrote.

The brief is the latest development in a weeks-long dispute. In February, the Trump administration ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying no contractor with commercial ties to the Pentagon should work with the AI company. Anthropic has called the designation legally unsound and a dangerous precedent for any American company that negotiates defense contracts.