All posts by Rick Hasen

“Census Bureau Director Robert Santos is resigning, making way for Trump’s pick”

January 31, 2025, 7:24 amcensus litigationRick Hasen

Hansi Lo Wang for NPR: The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Santos, announced Thursday he is resigning, giving President Trump an early opportunity to nominate a new political appointee to lead the agency. Arturo Vargas, chair of the… Continue reading

Watch Archived Video of Safeguarding Democracy Project Conversation with Amy Gardner, Pam Karlan, and Stephen Richer on What To Expect with Voting and Elections over the Next Four Years

January 30, 2025, 4:49 pmchicanery, election administration, election subversion risk, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

I learned a ton from this excellent discussion. Watch:

California Appeals Court Publishes Opinion Rejecting Argument That the Elections Code Allows Election Observers to “Breath[e] Down the Necks of the Election Workers”

January 30, 2025, 4:44 pmelection administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

A California Court of Appeal issued this opinion a few weeks back, but did not deem it suitable for publication. I filed a request for publication, as did the defendant Ventura County election officials and the California State Association of… Continue reading

“Internal Emails Offer Glimpse Into Early Days of Trump Election Inquiry”

January 30, 2025, 12:36 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: A series of internal F.B.I. emails released on Thursday showed that agents and officials followed standard procedure nearly three years ago when they opened the historic criminal investigation into Donald J. Trump’s attempts to stay in power after he… Continue reading

“Scorched-earth Shanahan: RFK Jr’s former running mate threatens political war against confirmation opponents”

January 30, 2025, 12:25 pmPlutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

Fox News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s former presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan called out various senators by name, warning that she will fund primary challenges against them if they oppose confirming Kennedy to serve as secretary of Health and… Continue reading

“Virginia Democrats Advance a Measure to End Lifetime Voting Ban. Now It Gets Complicated.”

January 30, 2025, 11:59 amfelon votingRick Hasen

The latest at Bolts.

“Job satisfaction among election administrators continues to sink, survey shows”

January 30, 2025, 11:58 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Jessica Huseman for Votebeat: The vast majority of America’s local election administrators would not encourage their children to do the same job, and a shrinking share of them say they would be proud to tell others about their work. The… Continue reading

“Trump Kicks Congress to the Curb, With Little Protest From Republicans”

January 30, 2025, 7:08 amlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Carl Hulse for the NYT: Congress passed a law shutting down TikTok, and President Trump flouted it. Congress required advance notification for firing inspectors general, and the Trump administration ignored it. Congress approved trillions of dollars in spending on a… Continue reading

“Justice Dept. Is Said to Discuss Dropping Case Against Eric Adams”

January 30, 2025, 7:05 ambribery, chicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York, according to five people with knowledge of the matter.… Continue reading

“The Power of Trump’s Big Lie: Identity Fusion, Internalizing Misinformation, and Support for Trump”

January 30, 2025, 7:01 amcheap speechRick Hasen

Philip Moniz & William B. Swann in PS: Political Science and Politics. Abstract: Former president Trump has maintained broad support despite falsely contending that he was the victim of electoral fraud, also known as the “big lie.” We consider… Continue reading

“Former US Sen. Bob Menendez gets 11 years in prison for taking bribes and acting as agent of Egypt” (and Appears to Be Angling for a Trump Pardon)

January 30, 2025, 6:52 ambribery, chicaneryRick Hasen

AP: Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt — crimes his lawyer said he’s been mocked for as “Gold Bar… Continue reading

“DOJ moves to drop charges against former GOP lawmaker in case criticized by Trump”

January 30, 2025, 6:48 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: The Justice Department has moved to drop its criminal prosecution of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Nebraska Republican who resigned last year after a conviction on charges that he lied to the FBI. Fortenberry’s conviction by a federal jury … Continue reading

“Trump Signs Agreement Calling for Meta to Pay $25 Million to Settle Suit”

January 29, 2025, 1:37 pmcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ: President Trump has signed settlement papers that are expected to require Meta Platforms to pay roughly $25 million to resolve a 2021 lawsuit Trump brought after the company suspended his accounts following the attacks on the U.S. Capitol that year, according… Continue reading

“U.S. seeks to drop case against Virginia over voter-roll cleanup before election”

January 29, 2025, 7:42 amDepartment of Justice, NVRA (motor voter)Rick Hasen

Votebeat: The U.S. Justice Department sought Tuesday to pull out of an ongoing voting rights case against Virginia over the state’s removal of names from voter rolls shortly before the November election. The department’s motion for dismissal, filed in… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law