“Donald Trump is about to get the Jan. 6 that he denied Joe Biden”

January 6, 2025, 6:58 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

Politico: The transfer of power to Donald Trump is shaping up to be, well, peaceful. No mobs are assembling to disrupt Congress’ Jan. 6 counting of electoral votes. No Democratic leaders are questioning the results of the election or concocting… Continue reading

“‘A Day of Love’: How Trump Inverted the Violent History of Jan. 6”

January 6, 2025, 6:56 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: In two weeks, Donald J. Trump is to emerge from an arched portal of the United States Capitol to once again take the presidential oath of office. As the Inauguration Day ritual conveying the peaceful transfer of power unfolds,… Continue reading

“Riggs responds to Griffin’s request to delay certification of the NC Supreme Court election”

January 6, 2025, 6:52 amjudicial elections, recountsRick Hasen

NC Newsline: Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs asked a federal judge to deny Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin’s request for a preliminary injunction in his election case. Riggs, a Democrat, leads Griffin, a Republican, by 734 votes in the race… Continue reading

“The New Year and the Necessity of Constitutional Reform – The Missing Element in Today’s Political Discussion”

January 5, 2025, 7:48 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Steve Griffin at Balkinization: We have finished yet another election cycle without the major parties and candidates recognizing and addressing the most important issue facing the U.S. today – the necessity of fundamental constitutional and political reform. Whatever you think… Continue reading

“Roberts Calls Court’s Relationship With Congress ‘Strained.’ Who’s to Blame?”

January 3, 2025, 3:41 pmlegislation and legislatures, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Jimmy Hoover for the NLJ. I offered some thoughts in this one: Many commentators say that a similar dynamic is responsible for today’s partisan rancor in light of the Supreme Court’s now solidly 6-3 supermajority of Republican appointees. “The Supreme… Continue reading

My New One at Slate with Jeremy Stahl: “Judge Merchan’s Plan to Sentence Trump Sends a Courageous But Likely Doomed Message”

January 3, 2025, 2:43 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

I have written this piece with Jeremy Stahl for Slate. It begins: In a surprising move on a lightning quick timetable that is unlikely to stand if challenged, the New York court that presided over the Stormy Daniels hush money… Continue reading

“Judge Upholds Trump’s Conviction but Signals No Jail Time”

January 3, 2025, 1:50 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NYT: A New York judge on Friday upheld President-elect Donald J. Trump’s criminal conviction but signaled that he was inclined to spare him any punishment, a striking development in a case that had spotlighted an array of embarrassing misdeeds… Continue reading

“Olivas Award Goes to Harvard Law Professor Guy-Uriel Charles”

January 3, 2025, 12:27 pmelection law bizRick Hasen

Congrats Guy and so well deserved! Release: Guy-Uriel Charles, Faculty Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice and Charles Ogletree, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is the recipient of the Michael A. Olivas… Continue reading

“For 1st time in history, Alabama will have two Black U.S. House members serving together”

January 3, 2025, 9:13 amVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Alabama Reflector: The 2024 election and a court-ordered redistricting led to this result: next year, Alabama will have two Black U.S. House members serving together, for the first time in history. Shomari Figures, elected Tuesday night to represent the… Continue reading

Proposed Republican Rules Package Would Prohibit Amendments on Congressional Bill to Require Documentary Proof of Citizenship Before Voting

January 3, 2025, 7:26 amvoter registrationRick Hasen

Good catch from Pam Fessler.

“F.B.I. Offers New Details in Hunt for Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect”

January 3, 2025, 7:23 amchicanery, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: F.B.I. officials on Thursday released new details of their investigation into the still-unidentified suspect believed to have placed pipe bombs in Washington the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, hoping to spur tips that might… Continue reading

“Meta will appoint Republican Joel Kaplan to lead global policy team, as Nick Clegg steps down”

January 3, 2025, 7:17 amcheap speechRick Hasen

Semafor: Meta is revamping its global policy team, with President Nick Clegg stepping down and being replaced by Joel Kaplan, his deputy and the company’s most prominent Republican, people familiar with the matter said. Kaplan, who was White House Deputy… Continue reading

“‘Dark Money’ Is Tainting Washington Think Tanks. A New Report Shows It’s Worse Than You Think.”

January 3, 2025, 7:13 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Washington’s think-tank industry, which sets the terms of debate for so much of American policymaking, is floating on a sea of foreign-government and Pentagon-contractor dollars. That’s the conclusion of a brand-new report out this morning and shared with me… Continue reading

Biden DOJ Asks SCOTUS for Chance to Give Up Defense of Laws Limiting Political Parties from Becoming Conduits for Large Campaign Contributions; Trump DOJ Will File Instead

January 2, 2025, 1:01 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

See this letter from the Solicitor General requesting an extension of time into the Trump Administration to file a response to the cert. petition in the NRSC case. Here is what I wrote in an earlier post on this case… Continue reading

Election Law Blog

The law of politics and the politics of law