NYT: “As Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator”

October 22, 2024, 5:40 pmauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: Few top officials spent more time behind closed doors in the White House with President Donald J. Trump than John F. Kelly, the former Marine general who was his longest-serving chief of staff. With Election Day looming, Mr.… Continue reading

“Kurt Olsen Helped Trump Fight His 2020 Defeat. Trump Is Talking to Him Again.”

October 22, 2024, 5:29 pmelection subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: A lawyer who tried to help Donald J. Trump overturn his 2020 presidential election loss has been in direct contact with Mr. Trump once again as his allies start to lay the groundwork for challenging this year’s election results… Continue reading

“Putting Conspiracy Theories in a Legal Complaint Doesn’t Make Them True; Election deniers are filing lawsuits now in attempts to lay the groundwork for challenging the results later.”

October 22, 2024, 5:26 pmelection administration, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Eliza Sweren-Becker for the Brennan Center

“Bill Gates Privately Says He Has Backed Harris With $50 Million Donation”

October 22, 2024, 4:00 pmcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

The Plutocrats are out in force: After decades of sitting on the sidelines of politics, Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, has said privately that he recently donated about $50 million to a nonprofit organization that… Continue reading

Watch Archived Video of Safeguarding Democracy Project Webinar, “AI, Social Media, the Information Environment and the 2024 Elections” (Klonick, Nyhan, Persily)

October 22, 2024, 3:40 pmcheap speech, chicaneryRick Hasen

This was a great conversation, in some ways reassuring and in other ways definitely not. Watch here:

“Georgia Supreme Court rejects Republican effort to restore last-minute election rules”

October 22, 2024, 1:32 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

AJC: The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously denied the Republican Party’s attempt Tuesday to reinstate State Election Board rules for an election night ballot count and a “reasonable inquiry” requirement before certifying results. The court’s one-page order rejected motions for… Continue reading

Guess Who’s Going to Own a Claim to $2 Million in Debt from the Trump Campaign? Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss

October 22, 2024, 1:30 pmchicanery, RemediesRick Hasen

From an order related to collecting on the defamation judgment from Rudy Giuliani: Defendant testified under oath at the Section 341 meeting of creditors in his bankruptcy case that he is owed “about two million dollars” by either or both… Continue reading

“How elderly dementia patients are unwittingly fueling political campaigns”

October 22, 2024, 9:45 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicanery, voters with disabilitiesRick Hasen

CNN: The 80-year-old communications engineer from Texas had saved for decades, driving around in an old car and buying clothes from thrift stores so he’d have enough money to enjoy his retirement years. But as dementia robbed him of his… Continue reading

“Natural Disasters, Terrorist Disruptions and Presidential Elections”

October 22, 2024, 8:51 amelection administrationRick Hasen

Jerry Goldfeder at Just Security: One take-away from watching Mother Nature cause havoc in the southeastern United States as voters began casting ballots is the glaring absence of a uniform response to handle even such limited election interruption. The affected… Continue reading

“The risk of exaggerating Trump’s ability to overturn the election”

October 22, 2024, 8:46 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

From Jennifer Rubin at the Wash Post: No one should underestimate the willingness of felon and former president Donald Trump to try to overturn the election if he does not prevail. He did it last time. He has already planted… Continue reading

“Trump Says He Has Seen No Evidence of Cheating in the Election, but Nonetheless Sows Doubts”

October 22, 2024, 7:54 amfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: At a news conference in a storm-damaged part of western North Carolina, Mr. Trump was asked by a reporter whether he had seen any evidence to suggest this year’s election would not be fair. “Well, I haven’t,” Mr. Trump… Continue reading

“Republicans Who Led 2020 Election Denial Now Sowing Doubt in 2024 Votes”

October 22, 2024, 7:52 amchicanery, election subversion risk, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: Starting in late 2020, Representative Scott Perry was one of the ringleaders of the Republican plot to use the House’s constitutional role in certifying the electoral count to delegitimize the results in a bid to help Donald J. Trump… Continue reading

“Former GOP lawmakers, officials urge Garland to investigate Musk”

October 22, 2024, 7:50 amvote buyingRick Hasen

WaPo: Former Republican lawmakers, advisers and Justice Department officials have called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate tech billionaire Elon Musk for awarding cash prizes to voters in swing states if they sign his political organization’s petition, according to… Continue reading

“An organization has novel way to get members to vote. But is it legal?”

October 22, 2024, 7:37 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Frank Langfitt for NPR: In America, we encourage voting as a civic duty, but an organization with millions of members is taking that obligation a step further. It’s requiring members to vote — or potentially lose their membership and the… Continue reading