The DFW Restaurant Whose Lawsuit Halted Pandemic Relief for Thousands of Businesses Has Already Received Nearly $200K in Aid

The Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant owners who filed a lawsuit to prevent the Small Business Administration from prioritizing the distribution of Restaurant Revitalization Fund monies to women, racial minorities, and veterans, received nearly $200,000 from the Fund earlier this month.

According to the New York Times, the Small Business Administration disbursed $187,753 to the Lost Cajun’s owners, Janice Smith and Jason Smith, on June 1, one week after the lawsuit was filed on May 23. According to the petition filed with the United States District Court, that’s the exact amount that the Smiths were told by the Small Business Administration that they should expect to receive once their application for relief was approved.

In the suit, the Smiths allege that the Small Business Administration’s plan to prioritize applications for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund from businesses owned by “socially disadvantaged groups” was unconstitutional…

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