Category Archives: chicanery

“Tulsi Gabbard Lashes Back at Hillary Clinton After Claim of Russian Influence”

October 19, 2019, 5:38 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Hillary Clinton waded into the Democratic primary on Friday by suggesting that Russia was backing Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii for president and that Republicans were “grooming” her as a third-party candidate.In response, Ms. Gabbard lashed out late… Continue reading

“The Pro-Trump Super PAC at the Center of the Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints”

October 19, 2019, 5:36 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

ProPublica: Last year, a Department of Defense contractor quietly donated half a million dollars to a group supporting President Donald Trump’s reelection.Once a watchdog organization noticed it, the contribution raised an alarm. Federal contractors are not allowed to donate to… Continue reading

“To Win Giuliani’s Help, Oligarch’s Allies Pursued Biden Dirt”

October 19, 2019, 5:26 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bloomberg: Associates of a Ukrainian oligarch fighting extradition to the U.S. were working to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden last summer in an effort to get Rudy Giuliani’s help in the oligarch’s legal case, according… Continue reading

“Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His Resort”

October 14, 2019, 8:13 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: A video depicting a macabre scene of a fake President Trump shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting members of the news media and his political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters at his Miami resort last week,… Continue reading

SDNY Investigates Rudy Giuliani for FARA Violation Connected to Ukraine Shenanigans

October 11, 2019, 8:42 pmchicanery, lobbyingRick Hasen

NYT: Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani broke lobbying laws in his dealings in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.The investigators are examining Mr. Giuliani’s efforts to undermine the… Continue reading

“Indicted Donors Spread Campaign Cash Widely; Pair of Soviet-born Florida businessmen donated $675,000 to at least 14 GOP candidates and groups last year”

October 11, 2019, 2:53 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ reports. At least 14 Republican candidates and groups directly received a total of $675,500 in campaign contributions last year from Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the Soviet-born Florida businessmen indicted this week on campaign-finance violations.Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say… Continue reading

“We have no idea who is paying Rudy Giuliani; A loophole in ethics laws lets Trump’s personal lawyer sidestep disclosure.”

October 10, 2019, 7:44 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Trevor Potter and Delaney Marsco: Rudolph W. Giuliani is not the secretary of state. In fact, he has no official position in President Trump’s Cabinet or administration. Yet he is traveling the world holding himself out as a U.S. … Continue reading

“The Arrest of Giuliani’s Ukraine Associates Shows How Much Trump Has Already Corrupted Our Elections”

October 10, 2019, 10:22 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: The news of Thursday’s indictments of two associates of Rudy Giuliani’s, who according to their lawyer (and former Trump lawyer) John Dowd, assisted Giuliani “in connection with his representation of President… Continue reading

California Governor Signs into Law New Ban on Certain Political “Deep Fakes”; I Expect a Serious First Amendment Challenge

October 7, 2019, 3:32 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Yahoo: With deepfake technology producing realistically modified digital content at a steeply increasing rate, California’s governor Gavin Newsom is taking a series of legal steps to avoid such technology from damaging the state’s political integrity and protect residents from having… Continue reading

“Russia likely to focus on voter suppression in 2020, feds warn states”

October 7, 2019, 8:08 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

CNN: The federal government warned state election officials Thursday it suspects Russia may focus on voter suppression as a means to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.The joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security document, obtained by CNN and… Continue reading

“Volker texts outline how Ukrainian investigation was linked to potential Trump-Zelensky meeting”

October 3, 2019, 10:48 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

CNN: Text messages released on Thursday between US diplomats and a senior Ukrainian aide show how a potential Ukrainian investigation into the 2016 election was linked to a desired meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.The… Continue reading

“Trump Publicly Urges China to Investigate the Bidens”

October 3, 2019, 8:41 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Quiet part out loud department: President Trump on Thursday publicly called on China to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., in an extraordinary presidential request to a foreign country for help that could benefit him… Continue reading