The White House has responded to the Nick Diaz petition which many supporters signed on behalf of the UFC fighter. While many believed that the petition would have some sort of impact on the Nevada State Athletic Commission to overturn its decision, it did not.
Over 100,000 signed the petition which earned a response from the White House. However, the response was not what many had hoped.
Per the White House petition web site on the Nick Diaz petition on the suspension:
The federal government plays no role in the disciplinary actions taken by state athletic commissions, so we are not in a position to address the specific request raised in your petition. State authorities — in this case, the Nevada Athletic Commission — will generally be the best source for information about those kinds of issues.
Payout Perspective:
Perhaps the takeaway is the great swell of support for Diaz rather than the result of the petition. It was clear from the start that the White House would not do anything with respect to a state disciplinary action. There are of course laws which would not allow a federal governmental branch to extend its authority into state law. Moreover, for something like this, even if it could, it would not do it. Evaluating the merits of a suspension for a drug test offense seems way off the radar for the White House. Still, it shows a great grassroots effort that politicians on the local level in Nevada should get behind if they support Diaz. We are still waiting for an official ruling from the commission so that the Diaz camp can file a lawsuit. No word on that as of yet.
I’m sure they have more important things to worry about