Category Archives: conflict of interest laws

“Judge rules Fulton DA Fani Willis can stay — if Wade steps aside”

March 15, 2024, 7:50 amconflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

AJC: A Fulton County judge on Friday gave District Attorney Fani Willis a stark choice: Either recuse yourself and your office from the election interference case against Donald Trump or cut ties with your lead prosecutor and former lover. The… Continue reading

Poor Disclosure from Some State Supreme Courts

March 14, 2024, 6:45 amconflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Fix the Court release: State supreme court justices have the power to impact federal elections, redistricting, immigration, reproductive rights, gun rights and more, and yet most states are suppressing information about their top judges — either by making it difficult… Continue reading

“Justice Clarence Thomas was the deciding vote in a case he never should have heard”

March 6, 2024, 1:15 pmconflict of interest laws, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Kimberly Atkins Stohr Boston Globe column: Even before the Supreme Court practically nullified the 14th Amendment’s clause banning insurrectionists and their supporters from seeking federal office, another decision all but ensured that outcome. And it was made by a… Continue reading

“Fani Willis admits relationship with prosecutor on Trump Georgia case”

February 2, 2024, 10:22 amconflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

WaPo: Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) admitted she had a personal relationship with an outside prosecutor she appointed to manage the election interference case against former president Donald Trump and his allies but denied claims that the… Continue reading

“Prosecutor on Trump Georgia Case Avoids Testifying in Divorce Proceeding”

January 31, 2024, 7:53 amconflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

NYT: The special prosecutor leading the election interference case against former President Donald J. Trump will not have to testify this week about an alleged romantic relationship with his boss, Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, after reaching… Continue reading

“Not just the Supreme Court: Ethics troubles plague state high courts, too”

December 7, 2023, 8:02 amconflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

New from the Center for Public Integrity.

Wisconsin: “Speaker Robin Vos keeps open option of impeaching newly elected Justice Janet Protasiewicz”

August 30, 2023, 6:51 amconflict of interest laws, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos continues to leave the door open to launching impeachment proceedings against state Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz if she does not recuse herself from lawsuits challenging the state’s electoral maps. The Rochester Republican raised … Continue reading

“‘I could sell golf’: How DeSantis and aides courted lobbyists for campaign cash”

August 20, 2023, 8:48 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, lobbyingRick Hasen

WaPo: When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took office in 2019, his political team made a list of the state’s top 40 lobbyists and about 100 of their “Suggested Clients to target” for political contributions, according to a fundraising document reviewed… Continue reading

Wisconsin: “Vos says lawmakers may consider impeachment if Protasiewicz doesn’t recuse from redistricting cases”

August 13, 2023, 6:45 pmconflict of interest laws, judicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: If Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz does not recuse from lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative boundaries, Republicans who control the state Legislature might consider impeachment proceedings, the Assembly’s top Republican said Friday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a… Continue reading

“Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel”

August 10, 2023, 7:41 amconflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

Blockbuster ProPublica report.

“Trump Team Creates Legal-Defense Fund to Cover His Allies’ Bills”

August 1, 2023, 7:27 amconflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

NYT: Former President Donald J. Trump’s team is creating a legal-defense fund to handle some of the crush of legal bills stemming from the investigations and criminal indictments involving him and a number of employees and associates, according to two… Continue reading

Brennan Center: “How a Renewed Code of Ethics Can Strengthen the Election Administration Profession”

July 20, 2023, 3:40 pmconflict of interest laws, election administrationDan Tokaji

The article by Derek Tisler, Ruby Edlin, and Daniel Weiner was originally published in the Journal of Election Administration, Research, and Practice. Here’s the abstract: Although election officials have successfully managed recent election cycles amidst significant challenges, they have… Continue reading

“Senators to Propose Ban on U.S. Lawmakers, Executive Branch Members Owning Stock”

July 19, 2023, 5:22 amconflict of interest lawsDan Tokaji

WSJ: Two U.S. senators are set this week to introduce bipartisan legislation to bar members of the federal executive branch and lawmakers from owning stock in individual companies, as new polling shows broad public support for such a measure.… Continue reading

About That Black’s Law Dictionary Definition of Facilities Cited by Justice Alito in His WSJ Defense of Not Reporting the Free Ride on the Private Plane of a Billionaire Litigant…

June 22, 2023, 1:58 pmconflict of interest laws, legislation and legislatures, statutory interpretation, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

In my earlier post on Justice Alito’s laughable defense that he did not have to report the free ride on the private plane because it was “hospitality … on …facilities” owned by a person, I noted that one of the… Continue reading

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