President Joe Biden decided to block the $14 billion takeover of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel even though some top US officials did not believe there were sufficient national security grounds to kill the deal,

The suit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, alleges that it was a political decision and violated the companies’ due process.

Nippon Steel and US Steel are suing the US government over blocking a takeover, claiming that President Joe Biden "ignored the rule of law to gain favor" with trade unions. The two companies also alleged that Biden, who is entering the last weeks of his presidency, stopped Nippon Steel buying US Steel to pursue his own political agenda.