Category: Politics

Media, Politics

State Department Classifies Dozens of Additional Clinton Emails

225px-Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_cropThe controversy over the use of a private server by Hillary Clinton has deepened with the classification of an addition 41 messages by the State Department. While Clinton has insisted that there was nothing classified on her email system and that any dispute is just a bureaucratic squabble “between agencies” the classification of many of these emails is no surprise to many of us who regularly deal with classified material. The classification of these emails will likely reignite demands for Clinton to turn over the server and raise the question of those thousands of emails that Clinton’s aides unilaterally deleted before turning over emails to the government. The classification level however of most of these messages are at the lowest level of such designations.

Continue reading “State Department Classifies Dozens of Additional Clinton Emails” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Media, Politics, Religion

Ultra Orthodox Man Stabs Six At Jerusalem Gay Rights Parade

israel1Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man, stabbed six marchers in the annual Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem. What is equally disturbing is that Schlissel was just released after serving 10 years for stabbing participants in the Gay Pride Parade in 2005. Schlissel immediately demanded a court held in accordance with Jewish law, a request which was denied.

Continue reading “Ultra Orthodox Man Stabs Six At Jerusalem Gay Rights Parade” →

Congress, Media, Politics

Obama Administration Moves To Sharply Curtail Authority Of Government Watchdogs

President_Barack_Obama600px-US-DeptOfJustice-Seal.svg DOJThe Obama Administration has been accused by public interest groups of being one of the most hostile administration toward whistleblowers since the Nixon Administration. Not only whistleblowers but reporters have been subject to abusive investigations and crackdowns under President Obama. Now, that record has taken an even more dangerous turn. The Justice Department is facing bipartisan criticism after it moved to restrict access of inspectors general to documents needed to ferret out corrupt and abusive practices. The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has issued a controversial 68-page memo that says that the department’s inspector general would be required to get permission from the agencies it is investigating to obtain wire taps, grand jury testimonies, and credit information.

Continue reading “Obama Administration Moves To Sharply Curtail Authority Of Government Watchdogs” →

Bizarre, Politics, Society

George W. Bush: “What difference does it make if the order is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Clinton or it is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Bush?”

George-W-Bush_jpeg225px-Bill_ClintonFor those who are already upset about the prospect of the country again being given simply a choice between a Bush or a Clinton in the general election, they might not want to read the recent interview of President George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in Time magazine. In a revealing aside, Bush shrugs off the real significance of the result of the election so long as it is either a Clinton or a Bush: says it really does not matter so long as it is either a Bush or Clinton: “What difference does it make,” he said at the time, “if the order is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Clinton or it is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Bush?” It appears that we have a dynastic democracy.

Continue reading “George W. Bush: “What difference does it make if the order is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Clinton or it is Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama/Bush?”” →

Congress, Criminal law, Justice, Media, Politics, Society

Clinton: “Pretty Clear” No Emails Were Classified Despite Contrary Findings Of Inspector General

225px-Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_cropDespite the determination of investigators at the State Department and intelligence agencies that Hillary Clinton did use her personal email system to handle confirmed classified information (and potentially compromised “hundreds of classified emails”), Clinton dismissed such allegations and assured the public that it is “pretty clear” that there was no classified information on her personal email system — a system that she used rather than the secure State Department system.

Continue reading “Clinton: “Pretty Clear” No Emails Were Classified Despite Contrary Findings Of Inspector General” →

Criminal law, Politics, Society

Concession or Coincidence? Pollard Reportedly To Be Released In Aftermath Of Iran Deal

200px-Jonathan_PollardThe Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Obama Administration is preparing to release one of this country’s most notorious spies in an effort to placate Israel in the aftermath of Iranian agreement. Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy, betrayed his country and was arrested as he attempted to flee to the Israeli embassy in 1985. He was not only convicted of espionage but the Justice Department and intelligence agencies have long maintained that he did untold harm to the national security. The question of the release of Pollard has always raised interesting political, social, and legal questions. Thirty years is certainly not an insignificant amount of time and Pollard reportedly has health issues.  My greatest concern is one of special treatment, particularly on sentencing policy for other national security cases. (For full disclosure, I have handled and continued to serve as lead counsel in national security cases). Continue reading “Concession or Coincidence? Pollard Reportedly To Be Released In Aftermath Of Iran Deal” →

Courts, Criminal law, Media, Politics, Society

State Department and Intelligence Agencies Ask For An Investigation in the Clinton Email Scandal

225px-Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_cropIn a major development on the Clinton email scandal, the New York Times is reporting that the inspectors general for the State Department and the intelligence community have asked the Justice Department to open an investigation into whether there was mishandling of classified information by Hillary Clinton using a personal email account while secretary of state. While the newspaper referred to the action as a criminal referral, the Administration quickly moved to counter the story and insist that it is not technically a criminal referral. We have previously discussed this story and the insistence of Clinton that she did nothing wrong in maintaining a private email system and that none of the emails were classified. I disagreed with both premises as well as expressed great skepticism over Clinton’s insistence that she was really not trying to control her emails and insulate them from review but rather simply did not want to carry around two phones. According to the New York Times, investigators believe that Clinton’s email archive contained “hundreds of potentially classified emails.” Nevertheless, the Justice Department appears to be moving to counter any expectation of a criminal investigation against the former Secretary of State under Obama. We have previously discussed the special treatment historically given powerful figures in violating national security rules or practices.

Continue reading “State Department and Intelligence Agencies Ask For An Investigation in the Clinton Email Scandal” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson Dropped From Democratic Events

225px-Thomas_Jefferson_by_Rembrandt_Peale,_1800170px-Andrew_JacksonThe Jefferson Jackson Bailey dinners are famous events for the state Democratic Party in Connecticut. However, as part of the backlash against historical figures who owned slaves, the NAACP demanded that both names be stripped away from the dinner and the state Democratic Party agreed.
Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson Dropped From Democratic Events” →

Bizarre, Politics

The Reincarnation of Carlos Danger: Anthony Weiner Hired By Leading PR Firm To Give Advice On Public Relations

Anthony-Weiner-2In a story that could easily be a skit for Saturday Night Live, the leading public relations firm MWW has hired former Congressman Anthony Weiner to give advice to the firm which specializes on “crisis communications.” Presumably MWW clients will identify with someone who created his own crises and then managed them. The only problem is that Weiner managed his self-inflicted crises not just badly but disastrously . . . over and over again.

Continue reading “The Reincarnation of Carlos Danger: Anthony Weiner Hired By Leading PR Firm To Give Advice On Public Relations” →

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, Politics, Society

Cameron Calls For A Break From “A Passively Tolerant Society” And Allow For The Criminalization of A Wide Array Of Speech

big-brother-is-watching-you_thumbnailDavid_Cameron_officialBritish Prime Minister David Cameron has long been a target of civil libertarians criticizing his dismissive attitude toward basic rights and particularly speech and privacy rights in that country. As if to prove his critics right, Cameron has publicly made comments that can be best described as Orwellian and some have gone as far as describing as fascistic. In calling for new extensive powers, Cameron said “For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone. It’s often meant we have stood neutral between different values. And that’s helped foster a narrative of extremism and grievance.” It seemed like a scene out of V for Vendetta as Cameron called on citizens to give up their rights to fight the threat of terror.

Continue reading “Cameron Calls For A Break From “A Passively Tolerant Society” And Allow For The Criminalization of A Wide Array Of Speech” →

Bizarre, Politics, Religion

Seattle Moves To Make Available “Sharia Mortgages” To Conform Mortgages To Islamic Law

262px-Flag_of_Seattle.svgIn a controversial move, Seattle is pushing to establish new financing packages that conform with Sharia law to allow greater homeownership among Muslims. Islam prohibits the payment of interest and some Muslims are therefore unable to buy homes under standard mortgage agreements. The most for more inclusive options has led to a backlash by critics who charge that it could be a new avenue for terrorist financing or constitute special treatment for one religion.

Continue reading “Seattle Moves To Make Available “Sharia Mortgages” To Conform Mortgages To Islamic Law” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Media, Politics, Society

Seventh Circuit Overturns Five Counts From Blagojevich Conviction

Rod_Blagojevich_mug_shotI have been a critic of aspects of the case against former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich, 58, was convicted of 18 counts of corruption and given a 14-year sentence. The most problematic charge in my view concerned Blagojevich’s wheeling and dealing for the appointment of a successor to fill the 2008 vacant U.S. Senate seat of then-President-Elect Barack Obama. Now a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has overturned five of the counts specifically dealing with that vacancy controversy.

Continue reading “Seventh Circuit Overturns Five Counts From Blagojevich Conviction” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Military, Politics, Society

Wesley Clark Calls For New American Internment Camps

220px-General_Wesley_Clark_official_photograph,_editedRetired general and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark has caused a stir with an interview with MSNBC in which he appeared to call for the establishment of World War II-style internment camps to be revived for “disloyal Americans.” Clark used the infamous American internment camps for Japanese, German, and Italian Americans as a model: “if someone supported Nazi Germany at the expense of the United States, we didn’t say that was freedom of speech, we put him in a camp, they were prisoners of war.”

Continue reading “Wesley Clark Calls For New American Internment Camps” →

Criminal law, Politics

Maryland Legislator Charged With Bizarre Conduct Outside Ex-Husband’s House

1198-1-06950bA Maryland state lawmaker was recently charged with trespassing and indecent exposure for allegedly baring her breast during a dispute with her ex-husband at his home. Delegate Ariana B. Kelly, a Montgomery County Democrat, was charged with trespass and indecent exposure in a confrontation with Barak Sanford after dropping off their two children.

Continue reading “Maryland Legislator Charged With Bizarre Conduct Outside Ex-Husband’s House” →

Academia, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

“This Flag Never Goes Down”: Amazon Reportedly Takes Down Historical Book On Confederate Flag Due To Confederate Flag On Cover

3178086_480The extensive move to remove the Confederate Flag from public and some commercial settings has raised serious concerns over both free speech and academic freedom. While the flag has been used as a racist symbol, it is also a historical symbol. According to one author, that distinction appears to have been lost by Amazon, which reportedly took done the book by Michael Dreese, a civil war author with six books on the conflict. Two of those books concern both the Union and Confederate battle flags and their roles in the Civil War. However, “This Flag Never Goes Down” (a book on the Confederate flag) was taken down by Amazon from its listed works.

Continue reading ““This Flag Never Goes Down”: Amazon Reportedly Takes Down Historical Book On Confederate Flag Due To Confederate Flag On Cover” →