SAN FRANCISCO, July 16 (UPI) -- A federal appellate court has temporarily revived part of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, officials say.
The ruling, issued Friday night, says the military can still reject openly gay enlistees, Politico reported. However, it ordered that all investigations and discharges made under the 1993 law must be suspended, the Washington publication said.
The order by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco came after it received information that was previously withheld, and was sought by the Obama administration's Department of Justice, the Daily Caller reported.
The Justice Department asked for the temporary reinstatement "to avoid short-circuiting the repeal process established by Congress during the final stages of the implementation of the repeal," as the original repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" did not set up a proper timeline for dismantling the law.
