All posts by Rick Hasen

D.C. Circuit Will Rehear En Banc the End Citizens United PAC Case Holding that Dismissals of FEC Complaints are Unreviewable Exercises of Prosecutorial Discretion

October 15, 2024, 3:04 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

The controversial 2-1 decision is here. The en banc order wiping this out and setting it for briefing and oral argument is here. More background and documents from the FEC.

“Judge questions new Georgia hand-count rule. Why not hold off?”

October 15, 2024, 2:50 pmelection administrationRick Hasen

AJC: A judge voiced skepticism Tuesday of a last-minute requirement for a hand count of the number of ballots on election night, suggesting it might be better to ensure “nonchaotic, stable, predictable, fair and transparent” elections. Fulton County Superior Court… Continue reading

Justice Gorsuch’s Fishy Story

October 15, 2024, 1:00 pmchicanery, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Quite the flaying (fileting?) from Anush Khardori of Politico Magazine: It does not take long — the first chapter — before Gorsuch misleads the reader in Over Ruled. He is discussing the case of John Yates, a commercial fisherman who… Continue reading

“Arizona lawyers keep distance from GOP’s ‘election integrity’ operation amid concern over Kari Lake’s fraud claims”

October 15, 2024, 12:56 pmelection law biz, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NBC News: Multiple Republican lawyers in Arizona say they and others who were involved in the party’s election litigation efforts in past cycles are keeping their distance this time around, in large part because of Senate candidate Kari Lake’s history… Continue reading

“Trump Leans On Creative Bookkeeping to Keep Up in Cash Race”

October 15, 2024, 12:54 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump’s political operation has been taking extraordinary measures in a bid to stay financially competitive with Vice President Kamala Harris, deploying aggressive and creative accounting strategies that test the legal limits of how far a candidate can… Continue reading

Fifth Circuit Panel, Citing Purcell, Stays District Court Order Against Enforcing Texas S.B. 1 Provision Against “interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot or a ballot voted by mail, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.”

October 15, 2024, 8:59 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

You can find Judge Ho’s opinion, and Judge Ramirez’s concurrence, at this link. Although the law is titled as against “vote harvesting” it seems a pretty clear violation of the First Amendment. The fact that the court relied on… Continue reading

“How Trump allies stoked election chaos in Detroit in 2020 — and what they’re planning in 2024”

October 15, 2024, 8:05 amchicanery, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Ryan Reilly and Jane Timm deep dive for NBC: How this will play out on Election Day is unknown. But an NBC News investigation can now report the extent of the Republican Party and Trump campaign’s involvement in the TCF… Continue reading

“Election certification in Georgia is mandatory, judge says”

October 15, 2024, 7:44 amchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

AJC: Certifying elections is a required duty of county election boards in Georgia, and they’re not allowed to refuse finalizing results based on suspicions of miscounts or fraud, a Fulton County judge ruled Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney rejected… Continue reading

“Republicans face backlash for lawsuits targeting overseas and military voting”

October 15, 2024, 7:40 amelection administration, military votingRick Hasen

WaPo: Republican lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina challenging the legitimacy of overseas ballots have prompted a backlash among military personnel, their spouses, veterans and elected officials. Scores of veterans and active-duty members of the armed forces have posted… Continue reading

My Q & A with The Guardian: “‘There are certain things that we don’t allow to be sold’: why vote buying in the US is illegal”

October 15, 2024, 7:38 amvote buyingRick Hasen

From Musk, to Cards Against Humanity, and more….

“Republican Operatives Function as Hidden Hand Behind Pro-Trump Efforts”

October 15, 2024, 7:36 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: A group of Republican donors and operatives has been the hidden hand behind some of this campaign’s most controversial advertisements attacking Kamala Harris and bolstering Donald J. Trump. Over $100 million was raised and spent over the past four… Continue reading

“Greg Abbott Boasted That Texas Removed 6,500 Noncitizens From Its Voter Rolls. That Number Was Likely Inflated.”

October 15, 2024, 7:34 amelection administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

ProPublica: An investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and Votebeat, however, found that the governor’s claims about noncitizens on the rolls appear inflated and, in some cases, wrong. The secretary of state’s office identified 581 people, not 6,500, as noncitizens,… Continue reading

“Trump Loyalists Push for a Combative Slate of New Judges”

October 15, 2024, 7:27 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WSJ: A rising faction within the conservative legal movement is laying the groundwork for Donald Trump to appoint judges who prioritize loyalty to him and aggressively advocate for dismantling the federal government should he win a second term. The movement’s… Continue reading