The Gag and the Goad: Trump Should Appeal Latest Gag Order

New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan this week became the latest court to impose a gag order on former president Donald Trump with a stinging order that found a history of Trump attacks that threatened the administration of justice. The order will bar public criticism of figures who are at the center of the public debate over this trial and the allegation of the weaponization of the legal system for political purposes, including former Trump counsel Michael Cohen, former stripper Stormy Daniels, and lead prosecutor Matthew Colangelo. Trump is still able to criticize Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Merchan himself.  What is most striking is the protection of Cohen who continues to goad Trump in public attacks.

Continue reading “The Gag and the Goad: Trump Should Appeal Latest Gag Order”

Saving Democracy From Itself: The Democratic National Committee Moves To Block Third Party Candidates

From Riot to Insurrection to Terrorism: January 6th Continues to be a Tragedy in the Eye of the Beholder

For years, I have maintained that January 6th was a disgraceful riot but not an insurrection. That issue came to a head with the litigation over disqualifying former president Donald Trump and similar calls to block dozens of Republican incumbents from ballots. Now, the protest that became a riot has been elevated from an insurrection to a terrorist attack.  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other democrats are using the description despite no one being charged with insurrection or terrorism. Continue reading “From Riot to Insurrection to Terrorism: January 6th Continues to be a Tragedy in the Eye of the Beholder”

The Free Speech Trifecta: How the Court Could Fundamentally Alter Free Speech in Three Pending Cases

Below is my column on the three major free speech cases heard by the Supreme Court in the last month. The three cases (Murthy v. Missouri, National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, and Gonzalez v. Trevino) could hold the balance for whether free speech will be protected in the coming years from increasing censorship and targeting by the government.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Free Speech Trifecta: How the Court Could Fundamentally Alter Free Speech in Three Pending Cases”

Willis v. Willis: Fulton County District Attorney Goes Head to Head with Her Prior Self in Trump Case

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has finally broken her silence with CNN. Willis insisted that she has done nothing wrong while declaring that “the train is coming” for Donald Trump. On this occasion, CNN can be excused for not having an opposing view. Willis circa 2020 denounced Willis circa 2024. Continue reading “Willis v. Willis: Fulton County District Attorney Goes Head to Head with Her Prior Self in Trump Case”

“Blatantly Misogynistic”: UC Berkeley Students Declare That They Feel Unsafe After Professor Shares Dating Advice

This week, parents of students at the University of California at Berkeley took the extreme step of hiring private security to protect their children at the school after years of complaints over rising crime and anti-police policies. The university, however, is focused this week on another threat that has led students to object that they no longer feel safe on campus: the dating advice offered by Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Professor Jonathan Shewchuk in response to a query from a student. Continue reading ““Blatantly Misogynistic”: UC Berkeley Students Declare That They Feel Unsafe After Professor Shares Dating Advice”

Whistleblower: The CIA Allegedly Told the DOJ to Stay Away from Kevin Morris in the Hunter Biden Investigation

The New York Post has created a stir in Washington with its report that a whistleblower claims that the CIA reportedly blocked federal investigators from interviewing Kevin Morris, the  entertainment lawyer who has subsidized the expenses and bought the art of Hunter Biden. (For full disclosure, Morris previously threatened me with a defamation lawsuit over my writing about his representation of Hunter. Fortunately, I have not received any summons from either the courts or the CIA). We will have to wait for more details on the allegations, but the response of the CIA struck me as rather curious.

Continue reading “Whistleblower: The CIA Allegedly Told the DOJ to Stay Away from Kevin Morris in the Hunter Biden Investigation”

The Dripping Away of the Democratic Party: Sir Thomas More and the Biden Corruption Scandal

Below is my column on Fox.com for the hearing this week on the corruption scandal involving the Biden family. For years, the Democrats have opposed any effort to investigate the Bidens, including as part of the current impeachment inquiry. Various members misrepresented my earlier testimony during the hearing on the basis for the impeachment inquiry. Members like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D., Md.) stated that I joined other witnesses in saying that there was nothing that could remotely be impeachable in these allegations. That is demonstrably untrue. My testimony stated the opposite. I refused to pre-judge the evidence, but stated that there was ample basis for the inquiry and laid out various impeachable offenses that could be brought if ultimately supported by evidence. I also discussed those potential offenses in columns. The purpose of the hearing was not to declare an impeachment on the first day of the inquiry. Unlike the two prior impeachments by many of these same Democratic members, this impeachment inquiry sought to create a record of evidence and testimony to support any action that the House might take.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Dripping Away of the Democratic Party: Sir Thomas More and the Biden Corruption Scandal”

The “Perversity” of Michael Cohen: Federal Judge Denounces Cohen as a Serial Perjurer

C-Span/YouTube Screenshot

Michael Cohen was back in court this week and it did not go well.  The former fixer for Donald Trump was in court seeking a reduction in his federal sentence and to answer for his use of Google’s AI chatbot to submit arguments with fake case authority. However, things went off the rails when his counsel cited his prior testimony as evidence of his rehabilitation. U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman called the argument “perverse” and noted that Cohen is clearly a serial perjurer and cited the need for continued “deterrence.” That is hardly a promising review before Cohen appears as the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the prosecution of former president Donald Trump. Continue reading “The “Perversity” of Michael Cohen: Federal Judge Denounces Cohen as a Serial Perjurer”

Eat the Rich: Warren Plan Would Impose Wealth Tax, Captivity Tax, and $100 Billion for Increasing Tax Audits

The wealth tax is back.  We have previously discussed the constitutional and policy concerns surrounding the push by Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to introduce a wealth tax that would start with billionaires. It would not likely end there. The law would also apply the same type of California approach to wealthy families fleeing the tax grab with a huge “exit tax” so that there is no escaping from tax vortex. In addition, under the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, Warren and others would add $100 billion to increase tax audit and investigations. Continue reading “Eat the Rich: Warren Plan Would Impose Wealth Tax, Captivity Tax, and $100 Billion for Increasing Tax Audits”

New Mexico Loses Another Key Fight Over Ban on Concealed Weapons in Public Parks

We previously discussed New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s effort to effectively ban guns (both open carry and concealed) with a flagrantly unconstitutional public health emergency order last year. After triggering a court fight, Grisham backed down and scaled down her order to ban concealed weapons in parks and playgrounds. The park ban was enjoined by U.S. District Kea W. Riggs as presumptively unconstitutional, leaving only a small fraction of Grisham’s original effort. Now, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has rejected her bid to lift that injunction in a key decision on appeal. Continue reading “New Mexico Loses Another Key Fight Over Ban on Concealed Weapons in Public Parks”

The Odor of Mendacity: 2024 Could Turn on Smell of Selective Prosecution from Georgia to New York

Below is my column in the Hill on the recent decision in Georgia and the “odor of mendacity” rising out of various courtrooms across the country.  It is the smell of not just selective prosecution but political bias in our legal system. It is becoming harder to deny the existence of a two-track system of justice in the country as commentators and even a few courts raise concerns over the role of politics in prosecutions.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Odor of Mendacity: 2024 Could Turn on Smell of Selective Prosecution from Georgia to New York”

Associated Press Under Fire for Salacious Article on Ohio Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno

The Associated Press (AP) is reportedly looking at a possible lawsuit after a bombshell article on GOP Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno was found to contain serious errors and contradictions. The article by Brian Slodysko suggested that Moreno had posted on the website Adult Friend Finder (AFF) to find male lovers. The story was eagerly picked up by newspapers like The Washington Post. Moreno is a Trump-backed anti-establishment candidate who is on the ballot this Tuesday in the Ohio primary. Continue reading “Associated Press Under Fire for Salacious Article on Ohio Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno”

Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks