Category Archives: Supreme Court

Festivus Celebration By Senate Judiciary Committee

March 10, 2016, 7:29 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

NYT: Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday will get a prime opportunity to air their grievances over the handling of the Supreme Court vacancy when the panel gathers for its first business meeting since the death of … Continue reading

“The Supreme Court’s Blind Spot: Understanding How Democracies Function”

March 9, 2016, 11:41 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has written this oped in the NLJ: One need look no further than the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and the constellation of cases that followed. These decisions have allowed the… Continue reading

“The Appearance and the Reality of Quid Pro Quo Corruption: An Empirical Investigation”

March 8, 2016, 12:05 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Christopher Robertson and three co-authors have posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Journal of Legal Analysis). Here is the abstract: he Supreme Court says that campaign finance regulations are unconstitutional unless they target “quid pro quo” corruption or its appearance.… Continue reading

“Liberals should thank Scalia for right to blast GOP on Supreme Court: Column”

March 8, 2016, 9:55 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Eric Wang for USA Today.

“Mitch McConnell Bets That Impasse on Court Now Helps G.O.P. Later”

March 8, 2016, 7:30 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Carl Hulse for the NYT.

“This is not a court of law: Why GOP obstruction over Scalia seat might open everyone’s eyes to a politicized Supreme Court”

March 7, 2016, 1:01 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Eric Segall in Salon.

The Amicus Wrangler and Amicus Whisperer at #SCOTUS

March 7, 2016, 7:37 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak: The teams preparing for major Supreme Court cases must now include two new members, the study said: the amicus wrangler and the amicus whisperer. “The wrangler is gathering the troops,” said Allison Orr Larsen, a… Continue reading

“Republicans Have a Stake in Making a Deal on a Supreme Court Justice”

March 4, 2016, 7:26 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

James Stewart NYT column: So the question for the Republican Senate leadership now and over the next few months, as the likely outcome becomes even clearer, is stark: Would they prefer an Obama nominee who is expected to be… Continue reading

Ron Collins Interviews Me on Money in Politics, #SCOTUS, and the First Amendment

March 2, 2016, 7:54 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

These were some of the best (and toughest) interview questions I’ve received. A very good exchange I think. Part II appears tomorrow. While part of the interview talks about my book Plutocrats United, we also discussed the Scalia vacancy… Continue reading

“Thank God for Citizens United”

March 2, 2016, 7:44 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Donald Trump candidacy as “The Producers” fantasy. (Watch Nathan Lane at 2:30 mention Citizens United).

“Does The Constitution Protect Your Right To Vote? It May Depend On Your Address.”

March 1, 2016, 3:07 amelection administration, Supreme Court, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Ian Millhiser: This election, however, there will not be a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Indeed, unless President Obama finds a way to break through Senate Republican’s planned blockade of his Supreme Court nominee, it’s unlikely that… Continue reading

A Scenario in Which McConnell’s Senate Approves Obama’s Choice for #SCOTUS

February 29, 2016, 11:07 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

I’ve already written about how I think whether a SCOTUS Obama nominee gets a hearing and possible vote depends upon whether the controversy looks like it is causing trouble for Republican Senators in blue/purple states up for reelection. If they… Continue reading

“Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories”

February 29, 2016, 8:22 amcampaigns, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Maggie Haberman for the NYT: It was a question that most major presidential candidates would have quickly dismissed as absurd, even offensive: What do you make of these theories that Justice Antonin Scalia was murdered? For Donald J. Trump,… Continue reading

“Scalia Took Dozens of Trips Funded by Private Sponsors”

February 26, 2016, 5:23 pmconflict of interest laws, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Eric Lipton for the NYT: When Justice Scalia died two weeks ago, he was staying, again for free, at a West Texas hunting lodge owned by a businessman whose company had recently had a matter before the Supreme Court.… Continue reading