“Jury finds NY Times not liable in Sarah Palin defamation case”

April 22, 2025, 1:44 pmFirst Amendment theoryTravis Crum

Reuters: A federal jury in Manhattan on Tuesday found the New York Times not liable for allegedly defaming Sarah Palin in a 2017 editorial about gun control, dealing the former Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate a second loss at… Continue reading

“Judge finds Newsmax aired false and defamatory claims about voting-tech company”

April 9, 2025, 6:10 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

NPR: A Delaware judge, once again, has found that a conservative news outlet broadcast false and defamatory claims about the role a voting technology company played in the 2020 presidential election. This time, that network is Newsmax, Fox News’ upstart… Continue reading

“Coming Soon: Modern American Remedies: Cases and Materials, Sixth Edition by Douglas Laycock and Rick Hasen”

March 20, 2025, 6:51 amRemediesRick Hasen

If you’ve wondering why you’ve been hearing less from me lately, check out this announcement to Remedies instructors from Aspen Publishing: Aspen Publishing is pleased to announce that Modern American Remedies: Cases and Materials, Sixth Edition by esteemed authors Douglas… Continue reading

“Justice Dept. to Review Election Tampering Conviction of Pro-Trump Clerk”

March 4, 2025, 7:35 amchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: The Justice Department said on Monday that it would review the conviction of the former clerk of Mesa County, Colo., who was found guilty of state charges last summer of tampering with voting machines under her control in… Continue reading

Pennsylvania: “Millbourne officials charged with brazen voter fraud scheme to try to steal a mayoral election”

February 24, 2025, 7:44 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer: Three officials in a tiny borough in southeast Delaware County illegally cast dozens of ballots in a 2021 mayoral race, only to have their candidate lose, federal prosecutors allege. Federal prosecutors charged Millbourne Borough Council Vice President… Continue reading

“DOJ moves to drop charges against former GOP lawmaker in case criticized by Trump”

January 30, 2025, 6:48 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: The Justice Department has moved to drop its criminal prosecution of former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Nebraska Republican who resigned last year after a conviction on charges that he lied to the FBI. Fortenberry’s conviction by a federal jury … Continue reading

“O.C. Registrar of Voters debunks viral election fraud claim”

January 23, 2025, 7:39 amelection administration, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

LA Times: A recent Orange County Grand Jury report that found no evidence of voter fraud did little to dissuade a false claim of election tampering from exploding on social media soon after. On Jan. 16, Joe Hoff, a far-right… Continue reading

“Rudy Giuliani settles with Georgia women who won $148 million defamation judgment against him”

January 16, 2025, 12:48 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Politico: Rudy Giuliani reached a deal Thursday with two Georgia women who won a $148 million defamation verdict against him that allows him to keep all of his property in exchange for a payment of unknown size — plus a… Continue reading

“Jack Smith’s Accountability Effort Ends With More Freedom for Trump”

January 15, 2025, 7:11 amDepartment of Justice, election subversion riskRick Hasen

NYT: In a closing argument he never got to make to a jury, Jack Smith, the former special counsel who investigated Donald J. Trump, insisted that his thwarted prosecution was righteous and that his investigators set an example “for others… Continue reading

The Attempt to Hold Donald Trump Responsible for Election Subversion Ends with a Whimper, and With Renewed Dangers for American Democracy

January 14, 2025, 11:25 amelection subversion riskRick Hasen

The attempt to hold Donald Trump accountable for seeking to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election ended shortly after midnight on Tuesday with a whimper, as the United States Department of Justice posted online special counsel Jack Smith’s… Continue reading

On remand, divided Michigan Court of Appeals allows 2020 political robocall prosecution to proceed

January 2, 2025, 7:38 amcampaignsDerek Muller

Back in June, the Michigan Supreme Court narrowed the construction of its “voter intimidation statute.” Five justices agreed the case should be remanded, while two would have held the conduct outside the statute. I blogged about that case here,… Continue reading

“How prosecutors’ evidence mistakes could let Menendez walk away from corruption charges”

December 25, 2024, 6:25 pmbribery, Speech or Debate ClauseRick Hasen

Politico: Five months after a jury convicted Sen. Bob Menendez of corruption-related charges that ended his political career, federal prosecutors have admitted to a series of errors that could upend the verdicts. The missteps have handed Menendez’s attorneys just… Continue reading

Rick’s Opeds and Commentaries, 2024

December 24, 2024, 4:16 pmUncategorizedRick Hasen

Voting in the U.S. Shouldn’t Be This Hard, MSNBC Opinion, Nov. 5, 2024 Thousands of Pennsylvania Ballots Will Be Tossed on a Technicality. Thanks SCOTUS, Slate, Nov. 4, 2024 Why the “Blue Shift” Everyone Seems to Have Forgotten … Continue reading

“Why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million”

December 16, 2024, 7:43 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Brian Stelter for CNN: George Stephanopoulos ended Sunday’s “This Week” program without any mention of him or ABC News settling Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against them. The suit was triggered by a segment on “This Week,” but ABC News has… Continue reading

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