Dan Balz: “Trump seeks takeover of elections in a bid for more presidential power”

March 30, 2025, 5:07 pmauthoritarian threats in US, Election Assistance CommissionRick Hasen

WaPo Dan Balz column: Almost no part of government is immune from President Donald Trump’s thirst for power and control. Last week he signed executive orders aimed at the Smithsonian Institution, the District of Columbia and the administration of … Continue reading

“Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so”

March 30, 2025, 5:04 pmauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NBC News: President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House, which is prohibited by the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, saying in an exclusive interview with NBC News that there… Continue reading

“Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to take case challenging Elon Musk’s $1 million payments”

March 30, 2025, 5:01 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

AP: A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state’s Democratic attorney general to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes… Continue reading

“France’s Political Order Braces for Shock if Le Pen Is Banned From Elections”

March 30, 2025, 1:35 pmUncategorizedRichard Pildes

Maire Le Pen’s National Rally party received the most votes in France’s recent elections and is the largest party in the National Assembly. Tomorrow, the judicial system is going to reach a verdict in a prosecution that seeks a criminal… Continue reading

Tamping down the third term hype for Trump

March 30, 2025, 12:04 pmterm limitsDerek Muller

Donald Trump recently told NBC News’s Kristen Welker that is “not joking” about seeking a third term, followed by this exchange: NBC News asked about a possible scenario in which Vice President JD Vance would run for office… Continue reading

“Trump’s Not-So-Subtle Purpose in Fighting Big Law Firms”

March 29, 2025, 8:09 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: Regardless, Mr. Trump’s moves have the potential — and perhaps the goal — to undermine people’s ability to challenge their government. “It is the president’s deliberate intent to chill the nation’s largest law firms from representing cases that he… Continue reading

“Trump Suffers Day of Losses in His Retribution Campaign Against Law Firms”

March 29, 2025, 5:22 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: Federal judges dealt twin blows to President Trump’s retaliation campaign on Friday by issuing temporary restraining orders blocking much of his executive orders targeting two major law firms that participated in investigations of him, Jenner & Block and… Continue reading

“Wisconsin AG seeks to block Elon Musk’s million-dollar giveaways ahead of state Supreme Court race”

March 28, 2025, 1:18 pmvote buyingRick Hasen

NBC News: Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said Friday he would seek a court order to block tech billionaire and White House adviser Elon Musk from awarding million-dollar prizes to people at a weekend event ahead of next week’s… Continue reading

Elon Musk, Recognizing Likely Illegality of His Offer of Lottery for People Who Voted in Wisconsin State Supreme Court Race, Tweaks Offer to No Longer Require Voting

March 28, 2025, 11:03 amvote buyingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Billionaire Elon Musk will visit Wisconsin Sunday and hand out $1 million checks to voters just two days before the high-stakes state Supreme Court election. Musk first announced his event in a post on his social media… Continue reading

Elon Musk Appears to Be Breaking Wisconsin Law Against Vote Buying in Offering a Chance to Win $1 Million to Anyone Who Voted in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

March 28, 2025, 5:40 amchicanery, vote buyingRick Hasen

During the 2024 elections, there was a question whether Elon Musk was breaking federal law in offering various incentives only to registered voters, including what was essentially a lottery open only to registered voters. He’s up to similar gimmicks in… Continue reading

A Tale of Two Law Firms: “Trump Targets WilmerHale, Citing Law Firm’s Connection to Robert Mueller”/”Skadden, a Top Law Firm, Is in Talks to Avert an Executive Order”

March 27, 2025, 7:18 pmauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump moved on Thursday to punish the law firm WilmerHale, where Robert S. Mueller III worked before and after he served as special counsel in the Trump-Russia investigation, expanding his widespread campaign of retribution. In an executive… Continue reading

Voting Rights Groups Send Letter to the EAC: “The Commission is Not Authorized to Implement” Trump’s Executive Order on Elections

March 27, 2025, 7:12 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administrationRick Hasen

From the letter: On behalf of the Brennan Center for Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters of the United States (the “League”), the Legal Defense Fund, and the National Association for the Advancement of… Continue reading

“New report illustrates immense fundraising pressure faced by legislative leaders to boost parties’ political war chests”

March 27, 2025, 11:28 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Issue One: A new Issue One report provides a glimpse into the relentless fundraising pressure faced by legislative leaders in Congress, whom party leaders frequently lean on to raise astonishing amounts of money for the parties’ political war chests under… Continue reading

My New One at Slate: “The Ultrarich Have Reshaped Presidential Elections. Here’s Where They’re Looking Next. Billionaire money could have even more of an impact on these races than it did on the 2024 election.”

March 27, 2025, 6:48 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: Although it has been more than a decade since judicial and administrative rulings freed the ultrawealthy to contribute unlimited sums to outside political groups, 2024 marked a sea change in… Continue reading

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