“ELEC releases eight complaints – all of which are nullified by new campaign finance law”

April 6, 2023, 4:09 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission – the state’s campaign finance enforcement body – released eight complaints against municipal candidates on Wednesday. But New Jersey’s new law, with a shorter two-year statute of limitations, makes them all unenforceable. … Continue reading

Interview with Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi

April 6, 2023, 4:07 pmcheap speech, chicaneryJustin Levitt

I missed this interview on Monday, talking at least in part about the impact of cheap speech on democracy (and about the Mackey conviction).

“1A Remaking America: Safeguarding free and fair elections ahead of 2024”

April 6, 2023, 11:59 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

I was pleased to speak to 1A, along with Carrie Levine and John Merrill.

Ambrogi and Senecal: “Voter Registration Systems Need Both Access & Security – How ERIC Helps State Government Strike the Balance”

April 6, 2023, 11:50 amelection administration, voter registrationRick Hasen

The following is a guest post by Adam Ambrogi and Jeanette Senecal: Much debate over election administration in the last 20 years has focused on the balance between access and security. Imagine every election policy on a spectrum —from… Continue reading

“Justice Janet Protasiewicz, Say Hello To Caperton v. Massey”

April 5, 2023, 3:33 pmcampaign finance, election law and constitutional law, judicial electionsJustin Levitt

Josh Blackman predicts (?) a surge of interest in recusal motions from conservative litigants with new appreciation for the perception of corruption in substantial campaign spending on judicial races.

“Rupert Murdoch Can Be Forced to Testify in Defamation Trial, Judge Says”

April 5, 2023, 3:09 pmchicanery, court decisions, election subversion riskJustin Levitt

In addition to Fox’s star on-screen hosts, the judge in the Dominion defamation case has said that “if Dominion issued a subpoena for Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of Fox Corp, and other corporate officers, he ‘would not quash it’ and… Continue reading

About that draft 2020 executive order to seize voting machines

April 5, 2023, 1:48 pmchicanery, election subversion riskJustin Levitt

Spotted heading into the special counsel’s grand jury on April 4: Ken Cuccinelli — named in November 2019 as the official acting as the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, though both GAO and several courts determined that the appointment was… Continue reading

More activity in the federal classified information case

April 5, 2023, 1:46 pmchicaneryJustin Levitt

Several former Secret Service agents are apparently scheduled to testify on Friday in the federal classified documents probe.

“Appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to block aides from testifying in Jan. 6 probe”

April 5, 2023, 1:46 pmelection subversion riskJustin Levitt

In a sealed order issued Tuesday, a panel of the DC Circuit reportedly “rejected an emergency bid by former President Donald Trump to block several top aides from testifying in the special counsel investigation of his effort to subvert the… Continue reading

“Trump’s legal drama could soon continue in Georgia”

April 5, 2023, 1:45 pmchicanery, election subversion riskJustin Levitt

A deep dive into the Fulton County probe into election interference.

Still more defamation actions

April 5, 2023, 1:44 pmcheap speech, chicanery, election subversion risk, First Amendment theoryJustin Levitt

Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, Eugene notes Devin Nunes’s latest, about an allegation that federal investigators were looking into Trump Media for potential money laundering activities.

“Georgia lawmakers add to the growing list of bans on outside election funding”

April 5, 2023, 1:43 pmelection administration, election law biz, Election Meltdown, legislation and legislaturesJustin Levitt

NPR reports on the latest measures. The real kicker is the last sentence, though: “Georgia lawmakers declined to add the $4 million to replace the [backup power supply] equipment and many of Raffensperger’s other requests in either budget approved… Continue reading

“N.C. lawmaker flips parties, handing state GOP a veto-proof majority”

April 5, 2023, 1:42 pmlegislation and legislatures, political partiesJustin Levitt

Rep. Tricia Cotham becomes a Republican, in a district that apparently went 61-38 for Biden.

“Legislature restores no voting rights during 2023 session”

April 5, 2023, 1:42 pmfelon votingJustin Levitt

Mississippi Today with a piece on the legislature’s practice of restoring (or, in this year’s case, not restoring) voting rights to handfuls of specific individuals with convictions.