Category Archives: chicanery

“Secret Deals, Foreign Investments, Presidential Policy Changes: The Rise of Trump’s Crypto Firm”

April 29, 2025, 7:40 amchicanery, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

NYT: The pitch from “ZMoney” arrived on the encrypted messaging app Signal just days before Donald J. Trump’s presidential inauguration. “ZMoney” was Zachary Folkman, an entrepreneur who once ran a company called Date Hotter Girls and was now representing World… Continue reading

Rich Bernstein: “The North Carolina’s Supreme Court’s Dangerous Violation of Equal Protection Threatens All Elections”

April 28, 2025, 12:22 pmBush v. Gore reflections, chicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Rich Bernstein: Imagine that a state’s statute (or constitution) required a photo ID to vote, but only in certain counties that had a history of consistently voting for Democrats by wide margins. Everyone… Continue reading

“Trump’s justice department appointees remove managers of voting unit”

April 28, 2025, 7:31 amchicanery, Department of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Sam Levine for The Guardian: Donald Trump’s appointees at the Department of Justice have removed all of the senior civil servants working as managers in the department’s voting section and directed attorneys to dismiss all active cases, according to people… Continue reading

“George Santos’s Closing Act: A Prison Sentence of More Than 7 Years”

April 25, 2025, 1:17 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryTravis Crum

NYT: George Santos, the former Republican congressman from New York whose outlandish fabrications and criminal schemes fueled an unforeseen rise and spectacular fall, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison on Friday. His 87-month sentence was… Continue reading

“Judges Worry Trump Could Tell U.S. Marshals to Stop Protecting Them”

April 25, 2025, 8:10 amauthoritarian threats in US, chicaneryTravis Crum

NY Times: On March 11, about 50 judges gathered in Washington for the biannual meeting of the Judicial Conference, which oversees the administration of the federal courts. It was the first time the conference met since President Trump retook… Continue reading

“Trump Says He Would Sign Bill Banning Congressional Stock Trades”

April 25, 2025, 6:37 amcampaign finance, chicanery, conflict of interest lawsTravis Crum

Bloomberg: President Donald Trump said he would “absolutely” sign a bill banning congressional stock trading, saying he was concerned lawmakers could be using insider information for an advantage. “I would be okay with it,” Trump said in an interview with Time… Continue reading

“Trump store is selling ‘Trump 2028’ hats”

April 25, 2025, 6:30 amchicaneryTravis Crum

The Hill: The Trump Organization rolled out “Trump 2028” hats on its website in support of President Trump’s suggestion that he could seek a third term in office. Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, was spotted wearing the… Continue reading

“Trump to target ActBlue in presidential memorandum”

April 24, 2025, 9:12 amcampaign finance, chicaneryTravis Crum

Politico: In a shot at ActBlue, the left’s major online donation platform, President Donald Trump plans to sign a presidential memorandum on Thursday cracking down on foreign contributions in American elections, according to a person familiar with the policy… Continue reading

“A Subdued Musk Backs Away From Washington, but His Project Remains”

April 24, 2025, 8:49 amchicaneryTravis Crum

NYT: As Elon Musk sought to reassure Wall Street analysts on Tuesday that he would soon scale back his work with the federal government, the strain of his situation was audible in his voice. The world’s richest man said… Continue reading

“Trump’s Elections Power Play and the Voting Machines”

April 23, 2025, 11:48 amchicanery, election administration, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadTravis Crum

Bob Bauer at Executive Functions: On March 25, President Trump issued a sprawling executive order on Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections. The order focuses on the “integrity” of federal elections. It repeats but does not substantiate… Continue reading

“3 More Prosecutors Resign Over Adams Case, Refusing to Admit Wrongdoing”

April 22, 2025, 10:14 amchicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: Three Manhattan federal prosecutors who worked on the criminal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York City said Tuesday that they would resign rather than admit wrongdoing in refusing to abandon the case, according to an email… Continue reading

Pa: “Two Millbourne council members confessed to trying to steal an election. They have no plans to resign yet. “

April 18, 2025, 9:38 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer: Two weeks after two Millbourne officials pleaded guilty to federal charges in a brazen scheme to steal a 2021 mayoral election, they are still sitting on the tiny Delaware County borough’s council and are poised to vote to… Continue reading

“State Department eliminates key office tasked with fighting foreign disinformation”

April 16, 2025, 6:02 pmcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday announced the closure of the agency’s hub for fighting foreign disinformation campaigns — the final nail in a yearslong effort to shut down the office accused by GOP lawmakers of censoring conservative… Continue reading

“Arson Attack on Josh Shapiro Raises Fears About Threats to Politicians”

April 15, 2025, 6:51 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: A charred piano. A singed light fixture dangling by a cord in a fire-scarred room. Plates strewn with ash, not far from a dinner table just cleared from a Passover Seder. The scorched rooms inside the official residence of … Continue reading