This is one of those instances where if CTH doesn’t write it down, our spidey senses tell us we shall regret it…  There is a mysterious case in Washington DC that has perplexed almost everyone; and now Chief Justice Roberts has injected an administrative stay against lower court punitive damages upon the defendant (likely a company).

The case is being heavily guarded by the DOJ and administrative state.  The case revolves around activity by state-owned company (unknown country); with a triggering illegal action external to the U.S.A; but harm to the U.S. was incurred.

… […] the matter “‘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.'”  (link)

The case is also related in some manner to Robert Mueller’s team.

(Daily Caller) […] Though Mueller’s connection to the case has not been definitively established, several facts indicate the special counsel’s involvement: CNN saw senior Mueller lawyers return to the Justice Department immediately after the conclusion of a recent secret hearing in the matter — an entire floor of a Washington courthouse was sealed in advance of that proceeding, a highly unusual move.
On a separate occasion, Politico overheard lawyers and court officials discussing this matter with specific reference to the special counsel. (read more)

If the case didn’t involve Mueller’s team; and if the DOJ were not trying to protect Mueller’s team in the processing of the case; it might be U.S-DOJ action against a Chinese owned company.  However, because the case does involve Mueller’s team; and specifically because the courthouse activity appears to be focused on protecting Mueller’s team, not the defendant; the likelihood is the case revolves around a Mueller-targeted Russian company.
Justice Roberts issued an order, a stay, late Sunday night temporarily halting enforcement of a DC district court contempt order against the company, as well as financial penalties that were accruing daily against the company for failing to turn over subpoenaed documents requested as part of a grand jury proceeding.
Everything is filed under seal; nothing is public, and in the only public appearance of any lawyers in the matter the entire floor of the courthouse was cleared.
So, just to be clear, everything is speculation.
All of that said, CTH would not be surprised to discover the mysterious case is related to an earlier indictment against Mark Lambert, which involves TENEX.  In January of 2018 Lambert was charged [SEE HERE] with violations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; including corruption, bribery and international money laundering.
The case involves Lambert providing bribes to a Russian official at JSC Techsnabexport (TENEX), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation and the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide, in order to secure contracts with TENEX.
If you want to go digging here’s a link to take you to more links at DOJ.  *NOTE* there are several related cases (docket screengrab below):

  (Link to DOJ to to reach all links above – SEE HERE)

The case against Mark Lambert reaches back to touch previous cases in 2015, 2016 that involved Robert Mueller, DAG Rod Rosenstein and their handling of Uranium-One matters.   There are all kinds of deals, pleas and agreements for deferred prosecution within those former cases. It is quite a legal morass.
What CTH suspects is: the second page of the Mueller instructions from Rosenstein; the instructions written on August 2nd, 2017, three months after Mueller was appointed; contain broad instructions authorizing Mueller to intercede in Russian business interests within the U.S., and -likely by design- that authority overlaps into the TENEX case.  See below:
[scribd id=375478974 key=key-4DaehSp6U38EiB8eNVXS mode=scroll]
.
If this suspicion is correct Mueller would hold a motive toward the Russian interests within the underlying Lambert case, but not necessarily the originating case itself. If there is a history of sketchy DOJ behavior, Mueller would want to throw a bag over it.
We’ll have to wait and see what this is.  However, if Rosenstein and Mueller engaged in any, well, politically influenced decision-making by the DOJ toward the Uranium-One case…. then it would stand to reason each of them would have a motive to take custody of any tangential case that might surface organically outside Mueller’s control.
Clearing the entire floor of the courthouse just to have a hearing on a subpoena related to a grand jury doesn’t indicate the secrecy is toward defending the honor of the potential target.  Not with this corrupt DOJ it doesn’t.  Certainly not now.  Mueller’s weasels don’t care if they muddy the reputation of a target, an adversary.
No, what the special counsel-directed secrecy indicates is the opposite.  The secrecy is related to protecting Mueller’s small group of corrupt officials; and their motives/intents.
We will see where this goes.
It could be something entirely different.
Until we know… Suspicious Cat remains, well, suspicious.

Merry Christmas, he sez?  Always, with the “Merry Christmas”?…