I have previously discussed the blunders of the Trump legal team and how they have undermined their client, including missteps by counsel John Dowd. (here and here and here). This weekend saw yet another Dowd statement and retraction on a subject of immense importance to his client. Dowd is quoted as calling for the termination of the Mueller investigation in the name of President Trump. After an outcry and reported contradiction from the White House, Dowd insisted that he was speaking just for himself.
Continue reading “Trump Counsel Dowd, Again, Under Fire For Controversial Public Statements”
President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen has moved to claim 
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House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) leveled a serious allegation at former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Jordan alleged that Jordan leaked classified information about the Trump-Russia investigation to CNN. Clapper later became a CNN contributor. I 
There is a major controversy unfolding at Penn Law School. Professor Amy Wax has been 
I have previously written how Trump personal counsel Michael Cohen has left himself utterly exposed ethically in his effort to protect the President from the brewing scandal involving porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen has struggled to deny any connection of the payoff to Daniels to the President or Trump organization. It is for that reason that a new document released by Daniels’ counsel (and my former research assistant) Michael Avenatti is so curious. The arbitration documents include the listing of Trump Organization Vice President and lawyer Jill A. Martin. Martin is listed as counsel for Essential Consultants LLC, a shell Delaware company formed by Cohen to help disguise the payment of the $130,000 to Daniels (whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford). The arbitration documents in Orange County, California were signed on February 22 — less than a month ago. It is bizarre that, given the huge effort to insulate Trump and his organization from this payment, Martin would effectively intervene in this way.
Like many people, I was 
We have been following the controversy over the claim of Native American ancestry by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the continued criticism from President Donald Trump who continues 
The rollback on civil liberties and press freedoms continues in Egypt where our close ally is arresting journalists for insulting the government or police. Now even pro-government media figures are being arrested. 
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the reported determination of the Inspector General that former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe misled investigators about a leak to the media. There may be a question of consistency in criminally charging Michael Flynn for the same alleged act. People continue to spin this issue by noting (as the piece states) that Flynn agreed to this false statement crime as part of a plea bargain with more serious potential crimes. However, that misses the point. Prosecutors are required to apply the criminal code evenly. They are not allowed the luxury of a criminal charge that can be easily applied to a wide array of people at their discretion. It makes it very difficult for people to contest a criminal charge when prosecutors can simply criminalize any inaccurate or misleading statement while ignoring the same conduct in others. It is particularly concerning when the favorable parties are fellow prosecutors or government officials. My argument is not that we should have more false statement charges. Rather, there has long been a problem in the use of this provision which has been applied in an arbitrary manner.
We 
On Tuesday, March 6, at noon, I will have the pleasure of speaking as part of the screening of