Category: Congress

Columns, Congress, Criminal law, Media, Politics

“It was an Outright Murder.” Democratic Politicians Pander to the Mob on ICE Shooting

Below is my column on Fox.com on Democratic politicians and pundits immediately declaring that the ICE officer in Minneapolis is a murderer. There is a method to this madness for politicians such as Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) who are facing primary challenges from the far left. He and others sit like Madam Defarge, simply knitting the names of expendable officers to fuel the mob.

Here is the column: Continue reading ““It was an Outright Murder.” Democratic Politicians Pander to the Mob on ICE Shooting” →

Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics

“Are You Not Entertained?” Democrats Announce New Impeachment Games to Draw Midterm Voters

“Are you not entertained?” With the country’s economy improving and other issues losing traction with the public, Democrats are increasingly turning to the one thing lacking in Washington: impeachments. Continue reading ““Are You Not Entertained?” Democrats Announce New Impeachment Games to Draw Midterm Voters” →

Congress, Media, Politics

Report: NPR’s Maher Refused Internal Demands to Resign “For the Good of Public Media” Before Loss of Funding
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The New York Times reports that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) called on National Public Radio (NPR) CEO Katherine Maher to resign before all federal funding for both the CPB and NPR was cut off. As in the past, Maher and the NPR board chose their own agendas over the interests of their institution and public radio. Continue reading “Report: NPR’s Maher Refused Internal Demands to Resign “For the Good of Public Media” Before Loss of Funding” →

Congress, Criminal law

“Second or Even Third Hand” Evidence: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Debunks Key J6 Committee Witness

We previously discussed how the J6 Committee and many in the media played up the “bombshell” testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson despite glaring contradictions that were hidden from the public. The J6 Committee denied reports of those contradictions and then delayed the release of directly conflicting testimony as the press played up who Trump allegedly tried to seize control of the Presidential limo to go to Capitol Hill. In his deposition before Congress, former special counsel Jack Smith indicated that Hutchinson’s testimony as unreliable, unsupported, and unusable in any trial. Smith appears to have finally presented a conclusive indictment . . . of the J6 Committee.

Continue reading ““Second or Even Third Hand” Evidence: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Debunks Key J6 Committee Witness” →

Bizarre, Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics

Swalwell Pledges to Arrest ICE Agents and Take Away Their Driver’s Licenses

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Cal.) will not be outdone again. Recently, Swalwell was outvoted in Congress by a colleague who had died months earlier.  Now, he is ensuring that, when it comes to violating the Constitution, no one is even close. This week, Swalwell pledged that, if elected California governor, he will arrest ICE officers and take away their driver’s licences. Continue reading “Swalwell Pledges to Arrest ICE Agents and Take Away Their Driver’s Licenses” →

Columns, Congress, Courts, Politics, Society

“What’s in a Name?” Courts Could Face a Truly Shakespearean Question Over the “Trump-Kennedy Center”

 

 

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.” That question posed by Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems to now occupy much of Washington. Last night at a Christmas party with many media from Washington, the question was put to me more succinctly and repeatedly as “can they do that?” The “that” was the renaming of the Kennedy Center as the Trump-Kennedy Center. Soon courts may have to face this quintessentially Shakespearean question “for never was a story of more woe.” Continue reading ““What’s in a Name?” Courts Could Face a Truly Shakespearean Question Over the “Trump-Kennedy Center”” →

Columns, Congress, Criminal law

Epstein’s Last Casualty Could Be Grand Jury Secrecy

Below is my column in The Hill on the fallout from the release of the Epstein files from grand-jury and congressional investigations. As various figures are hounded over embarrassing emails, we need to ask about the implications of such a wholesale release. One can be in favor of transparency without dismissing the impact on third parties who are not accused of any criminal conduct.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “Epstein’s Last Casualty Could Be Grand Jury Secrecy” →

Congress, Politics, Torts

Cover-Up or Frame-Up? How the Democratic Epstein Releases are a Classic Example of False Light

Many years ago, as a law student, I had the honor of working with the great prosecutor William J. Kunkle Jr., who put away John Wayne Gacy. I was a young intern at the litigation firm of Phelan, Pope & John and loved listening to Bill’s stories about his famous cases. I even had to take a couple of calls from Gacy from prison when Bill was out. (I was asked to write down everything that he would say in the routine calls. On one call, Gacy told me, “Tell Bill he was wrong. I was not guilty of homicide. I was guilty of running an indoor funeral parlor without a license.”). One story of Bill’s came to mind last night when Democrats released their latest tranche of “bombshell” photos from the Epstein files to suggest that Trump is implicated in the scandal. Continue reading “Cover-Up or Frame-Up? How the Democratic Epstein Releases are a Classic Example of False Light” →

Congress, Constitutional Law

Impeachment Articles Filed Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics

“An Impeachable Moment”: Impeachment Mania Returns in Time for the Midterm Elections

The military has long had a saying that “when you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” When it comes to impeachment power, Democrats have long acted as if every problem is a high crime and misdemeanor. After two impeachments against President Donald Trump (including what I labeled as an infamous “snap impeachment“), Democratic politicians and pundits are back calling for the impeachment of President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Continue reading ““An Impeachable Moment”: Impeachment Mania Returns in Time for the Midterm Elections” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics

Boston Judge (Again) Intervenes to Force Payments to Planned Parenthood

District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston has been one of the most active judges in the country in seeking to enjoin the orders of President Donald Trump, including her orders to prevent deportations under previously “paroled” immigrants under the Biden Administration. She previously sought to enjoin the denial of federal funds to Planned Parenthood, an order that the United States Court of Appeals lifted for the First Circuit pending appeal. Now, Judge Talwani is back with a new basis for forcing payments to Planned Parenthood despite Congress barring Medicaid funds under the Big Beautiful Bill.

Continue reading “Boston Judge (Again) Intervenes to Force Payments to Planned Parenthood” →

Congress, Media, Politics

New York Times Debunks War Crime Story By the Washington Post

The pattern is all too familiar. The Washington Post runs a story with a sensational claim: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the killing of survivors of one of the first boat attacks back in September — a coup de grace or finishing shot that would constitute a war crime. The Post appears to have had only one source making the specific claim about Hegseth, but ran with the story. What followed was a line of politicians and pundits calling for the usual criminal charges, impeachments, and resignations. Then, various sources, including the New York Times, debunked the story. Continue reading “New York Times Debunks War Crime Story By the Washington Post” →

Academia, Congress, Politics, Society

Amy Klobuchar Holds Embarrassing Demonstration of Confirmation Bias in Attack that Goes Wildly Wrong
In academia, one of the greatest concerns with statistical studies is the danger of “confirmation bias” or “myside bias.” A desire to prove a point can lead to a blindness to opposing data or information. This week, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) repeatedly demonstrated the scourge of statistical studies with spectacular and embarrassing success. Continue reading “Amy Klobuchar Holds Embarrassing Demonstration of Confirmation Bias in Attack that Goes Wildly Wrong” →
Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law

The Selective Outrage of Judge James Boasberg

Below is my column in The Hill on two controversies involving Chief Judge James Boasberg this week in Washington, D.C. Both involve claims that branches undermined or intruded on the authority of another branch. However, these separation-of-powers conflicts produced strikingly different responses from Judge Boasberg. It seemed that the court’s concerns depended greatly on whose ox was being gored in a tripartite contest.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Selective Outrage of Judge James Boasberg” →