Category Archives: chicanery

“Rare ‘corpse flower’ to stink up NYC for first time in years”

April 3, 2023, 11:02 amcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

The Amorphophallus Titanum – the one with the flower that smells like rotting meat – is apparently set to display its 24-hour blossom in NYC this week. Pundits, just when you thought you were running thin on metaphoric ledes for… Continue reading

“In Trump case, experts see echoes of failed case against Sen. John Edwards”

April 3, 2023, 11:02 amcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

Context from the WaPo. More context: keep in mind that nobody other than the grand jury and the DA’s office has actually seen the charges in the Trump case yet.

Citizens United + Trump payoff = clickbait

April 3, 2023, 11:01 amcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

In my first academic article, I noted that the Citizens United case seemed to have taken on the perceived sins of a whole line of campaign finance jurisprudence — and more broadly, democratic discontent. That is, it sometimes seemed… Continue reading

“Fiction vs Reality: My Texts with Michael Shellenberger”

March 31, 2023, 2:02 pmcheap speech, chicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Renee DiResta: For several months earlier this year, I’d been chatting with Michael Shellenberger about the Twitter Files. He’d reached out to me in a Twitter DM on December 30th, telling me he wanted to better understand social media content… Continue reading

Breaking: NYT Reports Grand Jury Votes to Indict Donald Trump for a Felony Related to “Hush Money” Payments; No Information Yet on Whether There is an Attempt to Bootstrap a Federal Campaign Finance Charge (Which May Not Work)

March 30, 2023, 2:36 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Breaking NYT: A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald J. Trump on Thursday for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, a historic development that will… Continue reading

California: “Shasta supervisors pursue hand count election plan, details remain unclear”

March 29, 2023, 7:32 amchicanery, election administration, voting technologyRick Hasen

Jefferson Public Radio: After ditching Dominion Voting Systems in January, Shasta County still doesn’t have a clear way to conduct elections. The county’s Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to try hand counting every ballot. Shasta County supervisors moved… Continue reading

“Activist group led by Ginni Thomas received nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations”

March 28, 2023, 6:53 amchicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: A little-known conservative activist group led by Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, collected nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations to wage a cultural battle against the left over three years, a Washington Post investigation… Continue reading

“Trump, Escalating Attacks, Raises Specter of Violence if He Is Charged”

March 24, 2023, 7:43 amchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: In an overnight social media post, former President Donald J. Trump predicted that “potential death and destruction” may result if, as expected, he is charged by the Manhattan district attorney in connection with hush-money payments to a porn star… Continue reading

“Stormy Daniels speaks to New York prosecutors as possible Trump indictment looms”

March 16, 2023, 7:34 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: The porn actor at the center of the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation of former President Donald Trump spoke Wednesday to prosecutors as the probe enters its final stages, according to her attorney. Stormy Daniels, who received $130,000 in… Continue reading

Should NYC Prosecutors Go After Trump for Crimes Tangentially Related to Campaign Finance Crimes? Reasons for Caution and Reasons to Save Prosecution for More Serious Crimes

March 10, 2023, 7:48 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Reports circulated yesterday that the Manhattan District Attorney is considering indicting Donald Trump for state law crimes related to falsifying business records related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. To turn this from a misdemeanor to… Continue reading

“Group Seeks Disbarment of a Trump-Aligned Lawyer for a Key Jan. 6 Witness”

March 7, 2023, 7:19 amchicanery, election law bizRick Hasen

NYT: In appearing before the Jan. 6 committee last year, Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House aide who recounted President Donald J. Trump’s conduct in the lead-up to the attacks on the Capitol, shared how her original lawyer had tried… Continue reading

Must read Politico Deep dive: “Dark money and special deals: How Leonard Leo and his friends benefited from his judicial activism; The Federalist Society co-chairman’s lifestyle took a lavish turn after he became Donald Trump’s adviser on judicial nominations.”

March 1, 2023, 7:34 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: A network of political non-profits formed by judicial activist Leonard Leo moved at least $43 million to a new firm he is leading, raising questions about how his conservative legal movement is funded. Leo’s own personal wealth appeared… Continue reading

“At Arizona Capitol, Republican leaders spotlight far-fetched election conspiracies”

February 28, 2023, 7:30 amchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Arizona Republic: A monthlong series of presentations in the state Senate Elections Committee came to a head on Feb. 23 with the airing of a massive conspiracy theory involving alleged “bribery” of Arizona elected officials by a drug cartel. The… Continue reading

“Election deniers who lost secretary of state races now run several state GOP operations”

February 23, 2023, 1:52 pmchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Zachary Roth: Many of the election deniers who ran last year for positions that would have given them control over state elections systems lost their races. But several have found a new path to exert influence: as chair of their… Continue reading

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