“Quid Pro Crow”

April 15, 2023, 3:49 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern in Slate (with maybe the best pun in an article title I’ve ever seen): When news broke last week, by way of dogged reporting in ProPublica, that Justice Clarence Thomas had accepted decades’ worth… Continue reading

“”The controversial article Matthew Kacsmaryk did not disclose to the Senate; The judge who delivered a high-stakes abortion pills ruling last week removed his name from a law review article during his judicial nomination process, emails show”

April 15, 2023, 3:43 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo: As a lawyer for a conservative legal group, Matthew Kacsmaryk in early 2017 submitted an article to a Texas law review criticizing Obama-era protections for transgender people and those seeking abortions. The Obama administration, the draft article argued, had… Continue reading

“Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urges Republicans to move on from election fraud claims: ‘2020 is ancient history'”

April 15, 2023, 3:40 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

CNN: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Saturday urged his fellow Republicans to move on from the 2020 presidential election, offering a thinly veiled dig at former President Donald Trump and his continued election grievances. Without naming Trump, Kemp’ said… Continue reading

“Indictment turbocharges Trump’s fundraising”

April 15, 2023, 3:35 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 fundraising has been turbocharged by his indictment, according to new figures provided by his campaign. Trump raised a combined $18.8 million in the first quarter through his joint fundraising committee and his campaign, the… Continue reading

“The Threats to Our Democracy Have Gone Local”

April 15, 2023, 3:32 pmelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Camille Squires NYT oped: American democracy didn’t crumble in one fell swoop under the administration of a president with disregard for rule of law or under the weight of a mob storming the Capitol or under a wave of candidates… Continue reading

“If Tennessee’s Legislature Looks Broken, It’s Not Alone; State legislatures around the country — plagued by partisan division, uncompetitive races and gerrymandering — reflect the current pressures on democracy.”

April 14, 2023, 8:41 amlegislation and legislatures, political polarizationRick Hasen

Michael Wines for the NYT: There are 99 legislators in the Tennessee House of Representatives, the body that voted on Thursday to expel two of its Democratic members for leading an anti-gun protest in the chamber. Sixty of them had… Continue reading

“U.S. elections official takes part in secretive GOP conference, sparking backlash”

April 14, 2023, 8:32 amElection Assistance Commission, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Zachary Roth: A commissioner of a federal elections agency recently spoke at a secretive conference of conservative voting activists and Republican secretaries of state and congressional staff — a step that election experts call highly improper for an official charged… Continue reading

“Facing Tough Senate Race, Montana G.O.P. Looks to Change the Rules”

April 14, 2023, 7:31 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: Republicans typically cry foul when accused of rewriting election laws to benefit their candidates. But as the Montana Legislature debates a new voting bill, even some G.O.P. lawmakers concede that this one appears designed to help them win elections… Continue reading

“Witness Testimony Helps Prosecutors Advance Trump Election Case”

April 14, 2023, 7:27 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: Without fanfare, the Justice Department’s investigation into former President Donald J. Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election is approaching an important milestone. After nearly nine months of behind-the-scenes clashes, Mr. Trump’s lawyers have largely lost their battle to… Continue reading

” Gov. Hochul’s top court picks could help tip the balance of Congress”

April 14, 2023, 7:21 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Gothamist: Gov. Kathy Hochul’s latest picks for New York’s highest court could play a key role in deciding whether the state will rip up its congressional district maps and start over — a move that could help determine which party… Continue reading

“How A Rural California County Became A Petri Dish For the Big Lie”

April 14, 2023, 7:05 amelection administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Kaila Philo for TPM: A deep red enclave in rural Northern California has recently seen the balance of its local governing body shift to the far right. Now it’s about to embark on an experiment tried in few other jurisdictions… Continue reading

“The Court Is Likely to Reject the Independent State Legislature Theory; And that offers hope for American democracy”

April 14, 2023, 7:01 amlegislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Judge Luttig in The Atlantic.

“Denver jury convicts man of felony charge for threatening Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold”

April 13, 2023, 3:16 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

The Colorado Sun reports.

“Feinstein, Under Pressure to Resign, Asks to Step Down From Judiciary Panel”

April 12, 2023, 7:20 pmlegislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

NYT: Senator Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday pushed back on calls for her resignation but asked to step away from the Judiciary Committee indefinitely while recovering from shingles, responding to mounting pressure from Democrats who have publicly vented concerns that she… Continue reading