Torres-Spelliscy: “Why Trump’s First Amendment Defense is Likely to Fail: SCOTUS Won’t Buy It.”

August 3, 2023, 3:53 amelection subversion risk, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: Donald Trump may wish to invoke the First Amendment to unravel the Special Counsel’s case against him related to January 6th. It won’t work. Here’s the short explanation of why… Continue reading

“Trump’s defense team casts Jan. 6 indictment as an attack on free speech”

August 2, 2023, 3:35 pmelection subversion risk, First Amendment theoryRick Hasen

Washington Times: University of California, Berkeley law professor John Yoo said free speech isn’t an all-encompassing right and some speech is criminal. “As a historical matter, this is the most important criminal prosecution that has ever been brought by the… Continue reading

Brandon Johnson: “Election Aggrandizement”

August 2, 2023, 3:31 pmlegislation and legislatures, Supreme Court, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Brandon Johnson, who begins as an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska on August 14: The Supreme Court received praise for two election law decisions issued in the waning weeks of its… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Sam Issacharoff: “Populism and Corruption”

August 2, 2023, 7:00 amcomparative election law, ELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Sam Issacharoff to ELB Book Corner, author of the new book, Democracy Unmoored. Here’s the third of four posts: My previous posts outlined how the populist challenge to institutional authority and the demand for… Continue reading

My New One at Slate: “U.S. v. Trump Will Be the Most Important Case In Our Nation’s History”

August 1, 2023, 5:07 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: Forget hush money payments to porn stars hidden as business expenses. Forget showing off classified documents about Iran attack plans to visitors, and then ordering the pool guy to erase… Continue reading

Breaking: Donald Trump Indicted for 2020 Election-Related Activities (Link to Indictment and Analysis to Come)

August 1, 2023, 2:35 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Here is the indictment. (This post will be updated)

“Michigan prosecutors charge Trump allies in felonies involving voting machines, illegal ‘testing'”

August 1, 2023, 1:23 pmchicanery, election subversion risk, voting technologyRick Hasen

Politico: A former Republican attorney general candidate and another supporter of former President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in Michigan in connection with accessing and tampering with voting machines after the 2020 election, according to court records. Matthew DePerno,… Continue reading

“No Labels to GOP donors: We are your anti-Trump alternative”

August 1, 2023, 7:29 amthird partiesRick Hasen

Politico: The centrist group No Labels has targeted Republican donors disaffected with Donald Trump, pitching its unity ticket as a way to beat the former president without funding an entity assisting President Joe Biden. Such a strategy was confirmed by… Continue reading

“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

“After Paying Lawyers, Trump’s PAC Is Nearly Broke”

August 1, 2023, 7:11 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: Former President Donald J. Trump’s political action committee, which began last year with $105 million, now has less than $4 million left in its account after paying tens of millions of dollars in legal fees for Mr. Trump and… Continue reading

“Kim Wyman Joins BPC Elections Project”

August 1, 2023, 7:03 amelection law bizRick Hasen

Great news for BPC. Kim is former Washington state secretary of state and was most recent working with DHS on election security. She spoke at our recent conference about fair and safe 2024 elections. Congrats all around!

ELB Book Corner: Sam Issacharoff: “The Critical Role of Political Parties”

August 1, 2023, 7:00 amcomparative election law, ELB Book CornerRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Sam Issacharoff to ELB Book Corner, author of the new book, Democracy Unmoored. Here’s the second of four posts: Previously I addressed the unique vulnerability of election systems in the face of populism. Let… Continue reading

“The FirstEnergy scandal shows everything that could go wrong with companies’ political spending in 2024”

July 31, 2023, 5:43 pmbribery, campaign financeRick Hasen

Allison Herren Lee and Bruce Freed oped in Forbes: When the Cleveland Browns removed the scandal-tarnished name of FirstEnergy from their football stadium, it symbolized how far the Ohio utility’s good reputation had fallen. The name change followed guilty… Continue reading