Category Archives: chicanery

Bloomingburg: “Real estate consultant pleads guilty to voter fraud scheme”

July 4, 2018, 9:36 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Lohud.com: Volvy Smilowitz, also known as Zev Smilowitz, 29, of Monroe, pleaded guilty June 18 in White Plains federal court to one count of conspiracy to corrupt the Bloomingburg village electoral process by falsely registering numerous voters who don’t live… Continue reading

“Judge: Trump Voter Fraud Panel Docs Must Be Turned Over To Member Who Sued”

June 27, 2018, 7:57 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Tierney Sneed for TPM: Nearly six months after President Trump, citing growing litigation, dissolved his sketchy voter fraud commission, a federal judge in Washington said Wednesday that certain commission documents should be turned over to one of its commissioners, who … Continue reading

Texas: “Democratic runoff winner: Voter fraud lawsuit is ‘pound of revenge’ in race for Joe Barton’s seat”

June 26, 2018, 10:24 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Star-Telegram: Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez wants an Ellis County court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging her 717-vote primary runoff win for the 6th Congressional District over Ruby Woolridge. She filed court records saying the lawsuit filed by Woolridge — which… Continue reading

Missouri: “Greitens committed impeachable offenses, nonprofit was ‘a criminal enterprise from inception,’ letter says”

June 25, 2018, 8:32 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The chairman of the Missouri House committee that investigated former Gov. Eric Greitens sent out a scathing letter Monday calling Greitens’ dark-money group a “criminal enterprise” and saying that if Greitens had not resigned, the committee would… Continue reading

“Ex-Trump Voter Fraud Commissioner Defends Misleading Reports In Court”

June 22, 2018, 3:11 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Tierney Sneed for TPM: Former Trump voter fraud commissioner J. Christian Adams was in a federal court in Virginia Friday to defend reports his group released in 2016 and 2017 alleging that thousands of non-citizens were illegally registered to vote… Continue reading

“National Enquirer sent stories about Trump to his attorney Michael Cohen before publication, people familiar with the practice say”

June 21, 2018, 4:35 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: During the presidential campaign, National Enquirer executives sent digital copies of the tabloid’s articles and cover images related to Donald Trump and his political opponents to Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen in advance of publication, according to three people with… Continue reading

Bob Bauer: “The Disastrous Legal Implications of the Trump Foundation’s Activities”

June 15, 2018, 8:47 amchicanery, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Bob in the Altantic: The law governing the activity of charitable organizations can be complex, but on the question of whether 501(c)(3) charities can engage in political activity, it could not be more straightforward. They cannot. The IRS enforces an… Continue reading

North Carolina General Assembly Continues to Look for Ways to Tamp Down African-American, Democratic Vote

June 14, 2018, 10:05 amchicaneryRick Hasen

News and Observer: One of the most popular days for early voting would be eliminated under a proposal that supporters say is meant to bring uniformity to the 100 North Carolina counties’ one-stop voting schedules. Rep. David Lewis, a chief… Continue reading

NC: “The new voter photo ID bill is vague and leaves lots of questions”

June 11, 2018, 6:27 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Gerry Cohen oped for the News and Observer: There are important questions to be resolved before the legislature votes to put voter photo identification in the state Constitution via referendum. The ballot question says, “Every person offering to vote in… Continue reading

“Web of elite Russians met with NRA execs during 2016 campaign”

June 11, 2018, 1:27 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

McClatchy reports: Several prominent Russians, some in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle or high in the Russian Orthodox Church, now have been identified as having contact with National Rifle Association officials during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to photographs… Continue reading

“SOS Kris Kobach’s office paid $1,000 fine in federal case with state-issued credit card”

June 10, 2018, 9:30 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Topeka Capital-Journal: Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, said three weeks ago Kobach had paid the penalty “out of his own pocket.” However, a Kansas Open Records Act request of the Kansas Department of Administration produced records… Continue reading

“Kobach can be investigated by citizen grand jury, Kansas Court of Appeals rules”

June 8, 2018, 9:27 amchicaneryRick Hasen

KC Star: The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a citizen grand jury can proceed with an investigation of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in Douglas County. Steven Davis, a Democratic candidate for the Kansas House, first filed … Continue reading

“Missouri House drops effort to get documents from Greitens’ secretive nonprofit”

June 7, 2018, 8:04 amcampaign finance, chicanery, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

KC Star: The Missouri House has dropped its effort to enforce a subpoena demanding documents from former Gov. Eric Greitens’ secretive dark money nonprofit. Lawmakers had asked Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem to force Greitens’ nonprofit, called A… Continue reading

“Ex-FBI honcho blasts Trump over Blagojevich”

June 1, 2018, 7:51 ambribery, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: A top former FBI official accused President Donald Trump of acting out of spite against federal law enforcement after the president suggested Thursday he might commute former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s 14-year prison term. Robert Grant, a longtime colleague… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law