All posts by Rick Hasen

“A Lengthy Legal Battle in North Carolina Could Show How to Flip an Election”

April 27, 2025, 3:40 pmelection subversion risk, judicial electionsRick Hasen

NYT: For months, Republicans in North Carolina have tried to do what President Trump and his allies could not in 2020: overturn an election that did not go their way. What began as a sprawling effort to throw out 65,000… Continue reading

My Thoughts on the Court Order Enjoining Part of Trump EO on Elections: The district court’s opinion is careful, persuasive, and seems very likely to be upheld on appeal

April 24, 2025, 11:29 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Travis has the main coverage at ELB, but I’ve posted some additional thoughts at Bluesky (read the whole thread): The district court's opinion partially & temporarily blocking key parts of Trump's executive order on elections is careful, persuasive, and seems… Continue reading

Elon Musk’s Unsupported Claims That Protesters Against Tesla are Paid Give Insight into Musk’s Own Mindset to Use Money, Sometimes Illegally, to Try to Influence Political Outcomes and Political Actors

April 23, 2025, 7:21 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Elon Musk has made a completely unsupported claim that protests against him and Tesla for his work trying to dismantle and hobble much of the U.S. government through DOGE are being “paid” for by those who like fraud and abuse… Continue reading

Breaking: 4th Circuit, on 2-1 Vote, Halts Likely Unconstitutional “Cure” Order in North Carolina Supreme Court Election Contest. What’s Next?

April 22, 2025, 6:52 pmelection subversion risk, judicial electionsRick Hasen

The court’s order stops what is likely an unconstitutional attempt approved by North Carolina state courts to overturn the results an election to the North Carolina Supreme Court. I’ve written about the irreparable harm from the district court’s allowing a… Continue reading

“3 More Prosecutors Resign Over Adams Case, Refusing to Admit Wrongdoing”

April 22, 2025, 10:14 amchicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: Three Manhattan federal prosecutors who worked on the criminal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City said Tuesday that they would resign rather than admit wrongdoing in refusing to abandon the case, according to an email… Continue reading

Judge Griffin Ignores Justice Scalia’s Bush v. Gore Argument About Irreparable Harm in His Brief in 4th Circuit in Due Process Challenge to Attempt to Overturn Result of North Carolina Supreme Court Election

April 21, 2025, 4:47 pmelection subversion risk, judicial electionsRick Hasen

You can read Judge Griffin’s brief at this link. It briefly cites Bush v. Gore, but completely ignores the main point about irreparable harm that Justice Scalia first flagged in his Bush v. Gore stay concurrence. See here.… Continue reading

“Trump Raised $239 Million for Inauguration, More Than Doubling His Own Record”

April 21, 2025, 7:05 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump raised $239 million for his inauguration festivities in January, a norm-shattering amount fueled by corporate America’s desire to curry favor with a famously transactional president. The total, disclosed in a filing with the Federal Election Commission on… Continue reading

“Former Trump Staff Members Liken His Actions to Those of ‘Royal Despot;’ In an open letter, prominent Republicans criticized President Trump for using his power to punish two former administration officials who criticized him.”

April 19, 2025, 7:50 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: A number of prominent Republicans, including several former members of the first Trump administration, have signed an open letter decrying the president for using his power to punish two former administration officials who criticized him, likening his actions to… Continue reading

“Judge expected to rule next week on challenges to Trump’s executive order on elections”

April 19, 2025, 7:45 amelection administration, Election Assistance CommissionRick Hasen

Carrie Levine for Votebeat: A federal judge said she planned to rule by April 24 on a request to stop parts of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order on elections from being enforced or implemented….

“Trump ally pushes DoJ unit to shift civil rights focus, new messages show”

April 19, 2025, 7:42 amDepartment of JusticeRick Hasen

Sam Levine for The Guardian: The justice department’s civil rights division is shifting its focus away from its longstanding work protecting the rights of marginalized groups and will instead pivot towards Donald Trump’s priorities including hunting for noncitizen voters… Continue reading

“Administration’s Dubious Trustworthiness Permeates Hearing On Trump Election Order”

April 18, 2025, 6:24 pmelection administration, Election Assistance Commission, election subversion riskRick Hasen

TPM: A cagey Trump administration arrived at court Thursday, where a judge presided over the early stages of a lawsuit stemming from a March executive order mandating that proof of citizenship be added to federal voting forms. As soon as… Continue reading

Pa: “Two Millbourne council members confessed to trying to steal an election. They have no plans to resign yet. “

April 18, 2025, 9:38 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer: Two weeks after two Millbourne officials pleaded guilty to federal charges in a brazen scheme to steal a 2021 mayoral election, they are still sitting on the tiny Delaware County borough’s council and are poised to vote to… Continue reading

Wisconsin Supreme Court on 4-3 Ideological Vote Upholds Governor Evers’ Crazy Rewriting of State Law to Protect School Funding for 402 Years Instead of 2 Years

April 18, 2025, 7:33 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

You can find the majority decision, a concurrence, and the dissent at this link. It’s not every day I side with the conservative justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but they are surely right here. As the majority explained: “As… Continue reading

“A Startling Admission From a G.O.P. Senator: ‘We Are All Afraid'”

April 18, 2025, 6:55 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Lisa Murkowski, the moderate Alaska Republican who has routinely broken with her party to criticize President Trump, has made a startling admission about the reality of serving in public office at a time when an unbound leader in… Continue reading

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The law of politics and the politics of law