All posts by Rick Hasen

Must-Read NYT: “Trump Steps Up Threats to Imprison Those He Sees as Foes; The former president is vowing to prosecute those he sees as working to deny him a victory, while laying the groundwork to claim large-scale voter fraud if he loses”

September 10, 2024, 7:35 amelection subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump has long used strongman-style threats to prosecute people he vilifies as a campaign tactic, dating back to encouraging his 2016 rallygoers to chant “lock her up” about Hillary Clinton. And during his term as president,… Continue reading

Divided North Carolina Supreme Court Orders RFK Jr. Name off the Ballot the Ballot, Requiring the Reprinting of Millions of Ballots

September 10, 2024, 7:13 amballot accessRick Hasen

CNN: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name will be removed from the North Carolina ballot, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. In a 4-3 decision, with both of the Democratic members and one Republican dissenting, the GOP-controlled court wrote… Continue reading

“Police are questioning Florida voters about signing an abortion rights ballot petition”

September 10, 2024, 7:10 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

AP: State police are showing up at Florida voters’ homes to question them about signing a petition to get an abortion rights amendment on the ballot in November, and a state health care agency has launched a website targeting the… Continue reading

Codrington: “Unprincipled All the Way Down”

September 10, 2024, 7:07 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Wilfred Codrington has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Washington and Lee Law Review). Here is the abstract: In 2006, the Supreme Court issued an emergency stay order in Purcell v. Gonzalez. Sparing in words and inattentive to the realities on… Continue reading

“Justice Department Issues New Guidance on Federal Law Regarding Voter Registration”

September 10, 2024, 7:05 amDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

DOJ release: The Justice Department announced today that it has published a new guidance addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. The guidance document reflects the department’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible… Continue reading

“Crosspartisan coalition calls on presidential candidates to embrace transparency, disclose their campaign ‘bundlers'”

September 10, 2024, 6:59 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Release: In an effort spearheaded by Issue One, 13 organizations from across the ideological spectrum are urging Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to publicly… Continue reading

“Election prosecutions? North Dakota’s governor sees no issue with Trump’s remarks.”

September 9, 2024, 7:54 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Politico: Gov. Doug Burgum on Sunday tried to dial down reaction to Republican president nominee Donald Trump’s Saturday statement on Truth Social that threatened extensive election prosecutions. Trump on Saturday posted on Truth Social: “WHEN I WIN, those people that… Continue reading

“Why Trump’s Conviction Can’t Stand; It rests on an intent to violate a state law that is pre-empted by the Federal Election Campaign Act.”

September 9, 2024, 7:44 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

David Rivkin and Elizabeth Price Foley WSJ oped: Mr. Trump was indicted under New York’s law prohibiting falsification of business records, which is a felony only if the accused intended “to commit another crime” via the false record. Judge… Continue reading

“A Deeper Look at the Scope, Impact, and Risks of Company Political Spending”

September 9, 2024, 7:42 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Bruce Freed and Jeanne Hanna: What exactly is the scope and impact of corporate political spending? Much has been written about the risks – legal, reputational and bottom line – faced by companies engaging in this spending. But it… Continue reading

“Trump pledges to jail opponents, baselessly suggests election will be stolen from him”

September 8, 2024, 1:41 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

And now the WaPo story: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump threatened to jail people “involved in unscrupulous behavior” related to voting in the 2024 election, suggesting without evidence that the election could be stolen from him — and prompting widespread… Continue reading

“What is the Claremont Institute doing back at APSA?”

September 8, 2024, 10:36 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Dave Karpf: Let me tell you a little story about institutional cowardice. The American Political Science Association (APSA) is my primary professional association. Every year, APSA holds a massive convention of political science professors. We present working papers, give feedback,… Continue reading

Must read: “Trump threatens lawyers, donors and election officials with prison for ‘unscrupulous behavior'” (Why Is This Not Getting More Coverage?)

September 8, 2024, 10:34 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

NBC News: Former President Donald Trump, who makes frequent false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through rampant fraud, warned Saturday that he would attempt to imprison anyone who engages in “unscrupulous behavior” during the 2024 race results.… Continue reading

Must-Read and Must-Watch AP Dive Compiling the Evidence of What Happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and Trump and His Allies’ Efforts to Deny It

September 7, 2024, 4:47 pmchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

This is well worth your time: Inside Washington’s federal courthouse, there’s no denying the reality of Jan. 6, 2021. Day after day, judges and jurors silently absorb the chilling sights and sounds from television screens of rioters beating… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law