Category Archives: chicanery

Department of Insanity (and Inanity): “Warner, Who Said CIA Stole Election, Now Leads DOJ Civil Rights”

February 24, 2025, 9:53 amchicanery, Department of Justice, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Bloomberg Law: The Justice Department has inserted Mac Warner, who last year espoused false claims that the CIA stole Trump’s 2020 presidential victory with the FBI’s help, to run the civil rights division, replacing an ousted career official who’s started… Continue reading

“GOP Email System Infiltrated by Chinese Hackers Last Summer, New Book Reveals”

February 24, 2025, 7:41 amchicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ: As the Republican National Committee was gearing up for its convention in Milwaukee, it was also quietly dealing with a serious security breach of its internal communications by hackers with ties to the Chinese government, according to people familiar… Continue reading

“The State(s) of Foreign Information Operations”

February 22, 2025, 8:08 amchicaneryRick Hasen

New report from the Alliance for Securing Democracy: “A State-by-State Look at ForeignInformation Manipulation in the United States.”

Elon Musk Says “60 Minutes” Journalists “Deserve a Long Prison Sentence” after Airing Critical Report; Where are the Free Speech Organizations on the Right Condemning this Intimidation of Journalists by Government Official?

February 17, 2025, 7:13 amchicanery, First Amendment theoryRick Hasen

Despicable:

“Top US Election Security Watchdog Forced to Stop Election Security Work”

February 15, 2025, 2:40 pmchicanery, voting technologyRick Hasen

Eric Geller for Wired: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has frozen all of its election security work and is reviewing everything it has done to help state and local officials secure their elections for the past eight years, WIRED… Continue reading

“How the Trumps Turned an Election Victory Into a Cash Bonanza”

February 14, 2025, 6:17 amchicanery, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

WSJ: When Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos dined with Donald Trump and his wife Melania at Mar-a-Lago in December, there was a lot at stake for both men: Bezos, a titan of industry whose company is crucial to the U.S. economy,… Continue reading

“Order to Drop Adams Case Prompts Resignations in New York and Washington”

February 13, 2025, 2:10 pmchicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: Manhattan’s U.S. attorney on Thursday resigned rather than obey an order from a top Justice Department official to drop the corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams. Then, when Justice Department officials sought to transfer the… Continue reading

“US Homeland Security says election security personnel placed on leave”

February 12, 2025, 7:18 amauthoritarian threats in US, chicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

Reuters: The Department of Homeland Security, as part of an evaluation of its election security mission, said on Tuesday that personnel focused on misinformation, disinformation and foreign influence operations aimed at U.S. elections have been placed on administrative leave. DHS… Continue reading

“Push to Drop Adams Charges Reveals a Justice Dept. Under Trump’s Sway”

February 11, 2025, 7:07 amchicanery, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

NYT: The Justice Department on Monday ordered federal prosecutors to drop the corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams of New York, a remarkable incursion into a continuing criminal case that raises questions about the fair administration of justice during President… Continue reading

“Advocate of Jan. 6 Rioters Now Runs Office That Investigated Them”

February 10, 2025, 7:29 amauthoritarian threats in US, chicanery, Department of Justice, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: Ed Martin was in the mob outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, posting on social media that the violent riot that day was marked by “faith and joy.” He has often echoed President Trump’s false claims that… Continue reading

Eric Holder: “The Courts Must Stop This Judge From Stealing an Election”

February 9, 2025, 9:44 amchicanery, election subversion risk, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Eric Holder NYT oped: But there is no suggestion that any of these 60,000-plus voters acted improperly, deliberately cast illegal ballots or failed to produce required identification when voting. And when the State Board of Elections reviewed his claim,… Continue reading

“Trump and Musk Attack Journalists by Name in Social Media Posts”

February 8, 2025, 2:06 pmauthoritarian threats in US, cheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump has made clear his animus toward mainstream media organizations. Now he’s getting more personal. Mr. Trump and his key lieutenant, Elon Musk, who has been empowered to run what they call the Department of Government Efficiency… Continue reading

“Trump administration cuts teams that fight foreign election interference”

February 8, 2025, 11:26 amchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

WaPo: The Trump administration this week eliminated much of the federal government’s front line of defense against foreign interference in U.S. elections. The move, which follows years of Trump and his allies disputing the role that Russian influence campaigns played… Continue reading

“Trump continues federal purge, gutting cyber workers who combat disinformation”

February 7, 2025, 10:24 amcheap speech, chicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

Politico: The Trump administration has moved to push out a swathe of federal workers previously involved in combating election-related disinformation, according to three people familiar with the matter, amid allegations from congressional Republicans that their work unfairly targeted conservative speech… Continue reading