During oral arguments, U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan seemed skeptical that certain counts in the lawsuit could proceed with respect to the Sanders donors’ alleged damages. The judge said it would be a stretch to show causation between those damages and the actions of the DNC, given that the DNC is an entity separate from the organization that accepted the donations – the Sanders campaign.

Judge Jordan further expressed reservations about the Sanders backers asking the court to hold that a political party has a fiduciary duty to its donors.

“You don’t have any precedent [in relevant jurisdictions] that goes anywhere close to what you’re asking us to do,” Jordan told Beck.....

In that August 2017 dismissal order, Senior U.S. District Judge William Zloch appeared reluctant to grant relief on matters concerning the internal workings of the Democratic Party.

“Grave questions regarding the DNC’s right of association would undoubtedly arise if this Court were to enjoin the DNC to a particular manner of governance,” the ruling states. “And those same concerns would arise with respect to any award of damages, which would impose liability for the DNC’s alleged decision to associate with a particular standard-bearer in a manner not otherwise prohibited by law.”