The possibility of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reopening its landmark lawsuit against Ripple has been definitively dismissed by legal experts, despite recent political pressure from House Democrats. The discussion was ignited after Democratic members of the House Financial Services Committee sent a letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, criticizing the agency for dropping 12 major crypto enforcement cases, including the one against Ripple.
The legislators alleged these cases were dropped because the affected companies—including Ripple, Kraken, Binance, Robinhood, Coinbase, and Crypto.com—had each donated a minimum of $1 million in political support. This development led to speculation within the crypto community that the SEC could be compelled to reignite its legal battle with Ripple.
However, Australian lawyer and prominent XRP legal commentator Bill Morgan has categorically dismissed this possibility. He cited the legal doctrine of "Res Judicata," which stipulates that a matter finally decided by a court cannot be litigated again between the same parties on the same issues. "Too bad the SEC can’t go against those companies again on the same matters. Res Judicata baby. Live with it fools," Morgan stated on social media.
The implication is that the Ripple case is legally closed. The SEC's lawsuit, filed in December 2020 under then-Chair Jay Clayton, alleged that XRP was an unregistered security. After a five-year legal battle, the case concluded in 2025 with a historic victory for Ripple following a pivotal ruling from Judge Analisa Torres in June 2023.
Legal experts emphasize that the judicial system operates independently from political oversight. While political committees can investigate regulatory decisions, they cannot override established legal finality. No evidence of fraud or procedural error exists that would warrant reopening the case under extraordinary circumstances. This closure provides crucial regulatory certainty and market stability for XRP and the broader cryptocurrency industry, establishing a key precedent for how securities law is applied to digital assets.
