All posts by Rick Hasen

“DOJ’s New Top Voting Lawyer Worked for Leading Anti-Voting Law Firm”

June 2, 2025, 11:48 amDepartment of Justice, election law biz, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Democracy Docket: The new top voting lawyer at the Department of Justice was until recently an attorney and activist for a leading anti-voting legal group that has worked for years to spread fear about illegal voting and press election officials… Continue reading

“Trump Court Pick Once Called For Bringing Back Literacy Tests For Voters”

June 2, 2025, 11:22 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Jennifer Bendery for HuffPost: One of President Donald Trump’s nominees to a federal judgeship, Josh Divine, argued in a college opinion piece that people should be required to take literacy tests in order to vote — despite such tests being… Continue reading

Quote of the Day

May 31, 2025, 9:18 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

“They don’t want someone who’s just going to be like, ‘We’re going to follow the law and do the originalistic thing, and whatever the result is, so may be it,’” said the consultant. “They want someone [who] can figure out… Continue reading

Democratic Party, in Marc Elias Brief, Seeks to Intervene in NRSC Case at Supreme Court to Defend Limits on Coordinated Spending by Parties

May 30, 2025, 11:07 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Well this is a very interesting development in the case I’ve been tracking closely and expect the Supreme Court to hear, especially given that Marc Elias has not been one to generally defend campaign finance limits applied to political parties.… Continue reading

“Carrie Levine is named editor-in-chief of Votebeat”

May 30, 2025, 7:12 amelection law bizRick Hasen

So well deserved: Civic News Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Carrie Levine as the new editor-in-chief of Votebeat, its nonprofit newsroom dedicated to election administration coverage. Levine, who has been serving as interim editor-in-chief and previously as… Continue reading

“How Donald Trump Has Remade America’s Political Landscape”

May 25, 2025, 1:59 pmpolitical partiesRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump’s victory in 2024 was not an outlier. It was the culmination of continuous gains by Republicans in much of the country each time he has run for president, a sea of red that amounts to a… Continue reading

“Judge strikes down Trump’s sanctions against Jenner & Block law firm”

May 25, 2025, 1:55 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election law bizRick Hasen

WaPo: A federal judge on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order sanctioning the law firm Jenner & Block, the second time a court has quashed one of Trump’s efforts to punish a firm. U.S. District Judge John D.… Continue reading

“In the face of election denial in North Carolina, the judiciary upholds democracy”

May 25, 2025, 1:53 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Stephen Richer: It took six months, but the race for the North Carolina Supreme Court is finally over. The rules of the game held – just as they did following the 2020 election – and the winner is now in… Continue reading

“As Trumps Monetize Presidency, Profits Outstrip Protests”

May 25, 2025, 1:50 pmbribery, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

Peter Baker for the NYT: When Hillary Clinton was first lady, a furor erupted over reports that she had once made $100,000 from a $1,000 investment in cattle futures. Even though it had happened a dozen years before her… Continue reading

“Prove citizenship to vote? For some married women, it might not be so easy.”

May 24, 2025, 10:04 amThe Voting WarsRick Hasen

WaPo: Some Republican-led states are moving to require voters to prove their citizenship, as Texas advances a controversial measure that could make it harder for eligible voters to get on the rolls because of changed names, mislaid paperwork or database… Continue reading

North Carolina Supreme Court, on 5-2 Party Line Vote, Allows (Pending Appeal) Republican Party Takeover of State and County Board of Elections

May 23, 2025, 2:02 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Is anything more predictable these days than the North Carolina Supreme Court?

“Trump dines with top meme coin holders, shrugging off ethics concerns”

May 23, 2025, 7:22 amchicanery, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

WaPo: President Donald Trump dined with the top purchasers of his meme coin at a black-tie gala Thursday night, demonstrating his willingness to cross what was once seen as an ethical red line: profiting off the presidency while in office.… Continue reading

“Trump’s $600 million war chest: How he plans to wield his power in the midterms and beyond”

May 23, 2025, 7:17 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

AP: Between a barrage of executive orders, foreign trips and norm-shattering proclamations, Donald Trump has also been busy raking in cash. The president has amassed a war chest of at least $600 million in political donations heading into the midterm… Continue reading

“FTC probes Media Matters’ exchanges with ad groups, stoking fears of retribution”

May 23, 2025, 7:13 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

CNN: The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sent Media Matters for America a letter demanding communications between the progressive media watchdog and advertising entities as the commission probes whether the watchdog colluded with advertisers to pull funding from Elon Musk’s… Continue reading