All posts by Rick Hasen

“For 1st time in history, Alabama will have two Black U.S. House members serving together”

January 3, 2025, 9:13 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Alabama Reflector: The 2024 election and a court-ordered redistricting led to this result: next year, Alabama will have two Black U.S. House members serving together, for the first time in history. Shomari Figures, elected Tuesday night to represent the… Continue reading

Proposed Republican Rules Package Would Prohibit Amendments on Congressional Bill to Require Documentary Proof of Citizenship Before Voting

January 3, 2025, 7:26 amvoter registrationRick Hasen

Good catch from Pam Fessler.

“F.B.I. Offers New Details in Hunt for Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect”

January 3, 2025, 7:23 amchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: F.B.I. officials on Thursday released new details of their investigation into the still-unidentified suspect believed to have placed pipe bombs in Washington the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, hoping to spur tips that might… Continue reading

“Meta will appoint Republican Joel Kaplan to lead global policy team, as Nick Clegg steps down”

January 3, 2025, 7:17 amcheap speechRick Hasen

Semafor: Meta is revamping its global policy team, with President Nick Clegg stepping down and being replaced by Joel Kaplan, his deputy and the company’s most prominent Republican, people familiar with the matter said. Kaplan, who was White House Deputy… Continue reading

“‘Dark Money’ Is Tainting Washington Think Tanks. A New Report Shows It’s Worse Than You Think.”

January 3, 2025, 7:13 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Washington’s think-tank industry, which sets the terms of debate for so much of American policymaking, is floating on a sea of foreign-government and Pentagon-contractor dollars. That’s the conclusion of a brand-new report out this morning and shared with me… Continue reading

Biden DOJ Asks SCOTUS for Chance to Give Up Defense of Laws Limiting Political Parties from Becoming Conduits for Large Campaign Contributions; Trump DOJ Will File Instead

January 2, 2025, 1:01 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

See this letter from the Solicitor General requesting an extension of time into the Trump Administration to file a response to the cert. petition in the NRSC case. Here is what I wrote in an earlier post on this case… Continue reading

“The year in recall elections”

January 2, 2025, 11:31 amrecall electionsRick Hasen

Joshua Spivak at Pluribus.

Electionline’s “In and Out” List

January 2, 2025, 11:11 amelection law "humor"Rick Hasen

Always fun to read.

“Legal challenges delay election result for North Carolina Supreme Court seat”

January 2, 2025, 6:52 amjudicial electionsRick Hasen

PBS News Hour reports.

“Democrats rage as Johnson restricts their ability to oust him”

January 2, 2025, 6:47 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Axios: House Democrats are pushing back furiously against a proposed change to House rules that would allow only Republicans to force a vote on removing the speaker of the House. Why it matters: Top Democrats are arguing the move would… Continue reading

“U.S. sanctions Russian and Iranian entities over attempted election interference”

January 1, 2025, 4:18 pmcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

NBC News: The U.S. announced Tuesday that it is leveling sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia over attempted election interference. The Treasury Department said the entities — a subordinate organization of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a… Continue reading

“Chief Justice Roberts Condemns Threats to Judicial Independence”

December 31, 2024, 4:28 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: Judicial independence is under grave threat on several fronts, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote on Tuesday in an unusually urgent and somber year-end report on the state of the federal judiciary. “Violence, intimidation and defiance directed at… Continue reading

“What did US election officials learn about our democracy from 2024’s vote?”

December 31, 2024, 10:52 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Sam Levine for The Guardian: Until the 2020 election, local election officials worked in obscurity and anonymity, ensuring that the election was fairly administered and complied with state and federal laws. But ever since the president-elect’s loss in… Continue reading

“How Elon Musk Has Planted Himself Almost Literally at Trump’s Doorstep; For much of the period since Election Day, the billionaire has been staying at a $2,000-a-night cottage at Mar-a-Lago, giving him easy access to the president-elect.”

December 31, 2024, 6:36 amcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

NYT: Elon Musk plays many roles with President-elect Donald J. Trump. He is Mr. Trump’s most important donor, most influential social media promoter and a key adviser on policy and personnel. For most of the time since Election Day, he… Continue reading