Category Archives: Supreme Court

“Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Over Michigan Election Law”

September 8, 2018, 12:59 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

AP: The U.S. Supreme Court won’t intervene in a dispute over Michigan‘s ban on straight-party voting. The court turned down an appeal Friday, which means the ban will go into effect in the November election. Voters can’t use a… Continue reading

“Small Donors May Soon Be the Only Way to Fight Big Money”

September 6, 2018, 9:17 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Eliza Newlin Carney for TAP.

“Brett Kavanaugh gave a troubling answer to Sen. Kamala Harris’ question on the Voting Rights Act”

September 6, 2018, 7:53 amSupreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Think Progress: Kavanaugh, for his part, tried to downplay the significance of Shelby County. “There is still, of course, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,” the nominee explained. That provision “allows litigation brought by plaintiffs to challenge voter restrictions… Continue reading

“Kavanaugh’s Campaign Finance Record Shows an Atrocious Disregard for Precedent”

September 6, 2018, 7:42 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Stephen Weissman for Slate.

In 2003, Judge Kavanaugh Called Lower Court Decision in the McCain-Feingold Case to Uphold the Rules Limiting Corporate and Union Spending in Elections Strange and Dangerous

September 6, 2018, 7:29 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can find the leaked document here (via the NYT). He also correctly predicted that the case would come down the votes of CJ Rehnquist and Justice O’Connor (both in the end switched sides from their earrlier positions… Continue reading

Judge Kavanaugh’s Sloppy Illogic in the Bluman Foreign Campaign Spending Case: A Question to Ask at the Hearings

September 4, 2018, 10:18 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

In an earlier post, and in pieces in Politico and Slate, I explained how Judge Kavanaugh’s opinion for a three-judge court in Bluman v. FEC opens a huge gaping hole in campaign finance law allowing for foreign governments, entities,… Continue reading

Kavanaugh, Foreign Agents, and American Elections

September 4, 2018, 6:40 amcampaign finance, statutory interpretation, Supreme CourtJustin Levitt

Justin here, with my own take on Kavanaugh and the election process, also cross-posted over at the Take Care blog: In the 2016 elections, we were hacked. I don’t mean the breach of the DNC systems, serious as… Continue reading

“Brett Kavanaugh May Soon Unshackle All Rich Political Donors”

September 3, 2018, 3:46 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: By the time President Donald Trump runs for reelection in 2020, he might be able to accept unlimited campaign contributions to support his bid, thanks to his nomination of Judge Brett… Continue reading

“How Brett Kavanaugh Would Transform the Supreme Court”

September 3, 2018, 3:45 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak curtain-raiser for the NYT.

“When It Comes to the Laws of Democracy, the Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Often Abandons Its Own Core Principles. Will Brett Kavanaugh Do the Same?”

August 31, 2018, 2:13 pmSupreme CourtRick Hasen

Daniel I. Weiner and Joanna Zdanys blog.

Breaking: Common Cause, League of Women Voters, and NC Democratic Party Oppose Redrawing North Carolina Congressional Districts for 2018, All But Assuring It Won’t Happen

August 31, 2018, 2:01 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Got to give a lot of credit to these groups for making this conclusion, given the national stakes of fixing the partisan gerrymander in North Carolina’s congressional districts: The Court asked the parties to “file briefs addressing whether [it] should… Continue reading

“Warning of ‘unmitigated chaos,’ N.C. Republicans plan to take gerrymander ruling to Supreme Court”

August 28, 2018, 8:39 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

WaPo: North Carolina Republicans plan to ask the Supreme Court to “step in” and preserve the state’s congressional map ahead of November’s midterm election, after a lower court ruled that the current map was unconstitutional. “What the court suggests is… Continue reading

“NC congressional districts need to be redrawn, maybe before November election, court rules”

August 28, 2018, 7:04 amredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Charlotte Observer reports. More from WaPo. My earlier coverage, including what’s likely to happen at the Supreme Court, is here.

BREAKING: Divided Three Judge Court Holds North Carolina Congressional Redistricting an Unconstitutional Partisan Gerrymander, Considers New Districts for 2018 Elections

August 27, 2018, 2:48 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

In a case with potentially national implications both short term and long, a three judge district court in North Carolina has held that the congressional redistricting plan—put in place after North Carolina’s districts last time were found to be a… Continue reading

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