United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.
United States Supreme Court
299 U.S. 304 (1936)
Relevant factsFree
Congress passed a resolution letting the President halt arms sales to countries fighting in the Chaco border dispute, and President Roosevelt issued an executive order doing exactly that the same day. Curtiss-Wright Export Co. (defendant) was indicted for selling arms to Bolivia, one of the warring countries, in violation of both the resolution and the order. The district court dismissed the indictment as insufficiently supported, and the government (plaintiff) appealed directly to the Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether an otherwise unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the executive branch may be sustained on the ground that its exclusive goal is to provide relief in a foreign conflict.