Breaking: Judge Cannon Says Appointment of Special Counsel Was Unconstitutional, Dismisses Trump Documents Case

July 15, 2024, 7:18 amDepartment of Justice, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

NYT reports: In a stunning ruling, the judge, Aileen M. Cannon, found that because Mr. Smith had not been named to the post of special counsel by the president or confirmed by the Senate, his appointment was in violation… Continue reading

Watch Archived Video of Supreme Court Term in Review Event Featuring Cary Franklin, Justin Levitt, Eugene Volokh, and Kimberly West-Faulcon (I Moderated) at Hammer Museum

July 15, 2024, 6:38 amSupreme CourtRick Hasen

This was a deep and provocative discussion, co-sponsored by the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law. Watch.

“Trump Assassination Attempt Exposes the Mortal Core of America’s Politics”

July 15, 2024, 5:14 ampolitical parties, political polarizationDan Tokaji

Molly Ball in WSJ: For Trump and his followers, the shooting cemented his status as a victimized folk hero, a messianic figure who would sacrifice himself to save the country from ruin. “They tried to jail him. They tried… Continue reading

“Trump Once Unified Democrats and Divided Republicans. The Shooting And Debate Turned the Tables.”

July 15, 2024, 5:00 amauthoritarian threats in US, political partiesDan Tokaji

Jonathan Martin in Politico: The complete and total, to borrow a phrase, realignment of the GOP into the Party of Trump was nearly complete after he avoided being seriously challenged, let alone defeated, through the primaries. But it was… Continue reading

The Presidential Nominations Process: History and Suggested Reforms

July 15, 2024, 5:00 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

With the start of the Republican Convention and the issues circulating concerning the Democratic Convention, the Task Force on Institutional Reforms to Combat Political Extremism—a group of political scientists, law professors, and others with expertise concerning the institutional structure of… Continue reading

“The road from the GOP’s antislavery founding to Trump’s MAGA convention”

July 15, 2024, 4:53 ampolitical partiesDan Tokaji

The Washington Post has this piece by the incomparable David Maraniss on the Republican Party’s roots in Ripon, Wisconsin. It begins: The distance between Ripon 1854 and Milwaukee 2024 seems far greater than 86 miles or 170 years. It was… Continue reading

“Democrats back off Biden after Trump shooting, but clock still ticking”

July 15, 2024, 4:45 amcampaign finance, political partiesDan Tokaji

The Hill: [T]he debate around Biden’s age and mental acuity was on hold, according to more than a dozen Democratic sources who requested anonymity to speak openly about a sensitive topic, which no one wanted to touch in the… Continue reading

“Top Democratic strategist pushed reporters to consider ‘staged’ shooting”

July 15, 2024, 4:34 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Semafor: The top political adviser to Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman suggested that the attack on Donald Trump could have been “staged,” even as Hoffman was criticized for joking before Saturday’s attack about Trump becoming a “martyr.” The adviser, Dmitri… Continue reading

“Conservative activists find errors in software they hoped would root out voter fraud”

July 15, 2024, 4:28 amvoter registrationDan Tokaji

NBC News: Last year, [conservative] activists excitedly embraced EagleAI and similar programs that promised to help them look through voter rolls across the country in search of outdated or fraudulent voter registrations, even as experts warned about the programs’… Continue reading

The Assassination Attempt Against Former President Trump

July 14, 2024, 6:28 amUncategorizedDan Tokaji

Yesterday’s horrifying attack injured former President Trump (though thankfully, he’s said to be okay), killed one rally attendee, and left at least two people critically injured. As the NYT editorializes: “Violence is antithetical to democracy. Ballots, not bullets, should… Continue reading

Brad Smith’s Testimony on Trump Hush Money Case

July 14, 2024, 6:26 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Brad’s testimony to the House Judiciary Committee is definitely worth reading, for those interested in a deep dive into the alleged federal campaign finance violations supporting the felony conviction of former President Trump. Brad explains why he thinks the jury… Continue reading

“Two key states to see massive GOP voter registration operation”

July 14, 2024, 6:15 amvoter registrationDan Tokaji

Fox News: “Starting Monday, Heritage Action for America, a right-wing nonprofit, will unveil a new, multi-million-dollar initiative to ‘give conservative candidates the electoral edge’ in Georgia and Arizona, where officials with Heritage Action said there have long been other organizational… Continue reading

Republican Plans for Election 2024

July 14, 2024, 6:10 amelection subversion riskDan Tokaji

NYT has this lengthy story on pre-election and post-election strategy. It begins: “The Republican Party and its conservative allies are engaged in an unprecedented legal campaign targeting the American voting system. Their wide-ranging and methodical effort is laying the groundwork… Continue reading

“Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country”

July 14, 2024, 6:00 amcampaign finance, voter registrationDan Tokaji

From ProPublica: A network of ultrawealthy Christian donors is spending nearly $12 million to mobilize Republican-leaning voters and purge more than a million people from the rolls in key swing states, aiming to tilt the 2024 election in favor… Continue reading