The Reckoning That Never Happened on One of Trump’s Most Brutal Policies

Politico | October 28, 2024

A new documentary from Errol Morris examines how Trump’s family separation policy sparked widespread outrage — and how the government eventually looked the other way.

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How SCOTUS saved Trump from an October surprise

Politico | October 19, 2024

The Playbook newsletter

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Neil Gorsuch’s New Book Is an Embarrassment

Politico | October 15, 2024

The conservative Supreme Court justice produced a tendentious account of the legal system in service of a political narrative — and he won’t answer his critics.

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How Trump could blow it

Politico | October 13, 2024

The Playbook newsletter

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The anxious Dem’s guide to a coin-toss election

Politico | October 12, 2024

The Playbook newsletter

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The Supreme Court Might Get Eric Adams Off the Hook

Politico | October 3, 2024

Here’s why the New York City mayor could beat his bribery case.

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The Coming Trump Revenge Tour

Politico | September 30, 2024

Trump has campaigned on a wave of retaliatory criminal prosecutions. It’s not the first time he’s promised to lock up his rivals — but a second term would be different.

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How Kamala Harris Will Try to Take Control of the Debate

Politico | September 10, 2024

A review of her most memorable moments on the debate stage and the dais offer clues to how she’ll take on Trump.

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There Was No Good Legal Reason to Delay Trump’s Sentencing

Politico | September 6, 2024

But I don’t blame the judge for his decision.

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Democrats Are Already Buzzing About a Merrick Garland Successor

Politico | August 28, 2024

Here’s what Kamala Harris needs in an attorney general.

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The strategist who predicted Dems would overperform in 2022 has a warning for 2024

Politico | August 19, 2024

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Disability-rights activists say Biden was ‘set aside, just like so many of us’

Politico | August 19, 2024

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JD Vance’s ‘Constitutional Crisis’ in the Making

Politico | August 12, 2024

Vance’s proposal to gut the federal workforce is likely unlawful and unworkable. But despite his bluster about defying the Supreme Court, that might not be necessary.

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Democrats May Have a Real Chance to Reform the Supreme Court

Politico | July 29, 2024

Biden’s reversal signals a growing consensus in the party.

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‘Hardest Thing I Did in 22 Years’: A Retired Secret Service Agent on Trump, Harris and His Biggest Challenge

Politico | July 25, 2024

The agency faces crisis at a uniquely challenging moment.

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‘Kamala the Cop’ Doesn’t Sound So Bad in 2024

Politico | July 23, 2024

Kamala Harris’ past as a prosecutor was seen as a liability during her first presidential run. Not anymore.

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George W. Bush’s Attorney General Is Worried About Trump

Politico | July 19, 2024

Alberto Gonzales discusses the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity — and the prospect of a second Trump administration with more vendettas and fewer guardrails.

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The Gaping Hole at the Republican Convention

Politico | July 18, 2024

Trump’s vow of prosecutorial retaliation is largely absent from the convention — and opposed by some Republicans.

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The Supreme Court Gave Trump a Stunning Gift — and Rewrote the Constitution

Politico | July 2, 2024

The decision may go down as one of the most brazenly political decisions in the history of the Supreme Court.

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New Polling Shows the Real Fallout From the Trump Conviction

Politico | June 17, 2024

A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll shows that Trump’s criminal conviction hurts him with independents.

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The Hunter Biden Case Is Solid. There’s Something Rotten About It Too.

Politico | June 7, 2024

The president’s son faces long odds to avoid conviction — in a case with dubious origins.

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Trump Bungled the Trial

Politico | May 31, 2024

A conviction wasn’t inevitable.

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The Alito Scandal Is Worse Than It Seems

Politico | May 30, 2024

The conservative justice knows he can get away with just about anything.

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Will the Jury Convict Trump? Here Are the Clues.

Politico | May 24, 2024

Judgment day approaches.

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We’re on the Cusp of a Trump Verdict. Here’s What Our Insiders Think.

Politico | May 23, 2024

POLITICO reporters inside the courtroom dissect the latest crucial moments before a verdict arrives.

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Trump’s Lawyers Are Making Major Mistakes

Politico | May 14, 2024

Trump has no one to blame but himself.

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‘Grueling’: The Trial May Be Getting to Trump

Politico | May 8, 2024

Did Stormy Daniels’ testimony help or hurt the case against Trump? POLITICO’s reporters in the courtroom and on the campaign trail take you behind the curtain.

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Being Held in Contempt Might Not Be Trump’s Biggest Problem

Politico | May 7, 2024

Trump could be talking himself into a prison sentence if he’s convicted.

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What It’s Really Like Inside Trump’s Trial

Politico | April 25, 2024

POLITICO reporters take you inside the courtroom that could decide the 2024 election.

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How to Know If the Supreme Court Is in the Tank for Trump

Politico | April 24, 2024

Trump’s bid for immunity from prosecution in Washington is an absurd farce. Will the court’s conservatives bail him out?

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Inside the Off-the-Record Calls Held by Anti-Trump Legal Pundits

Politico | April 23, 2024

Some of the country’s most prominent legal commentators are holding off-the-record sessions to hash out the latest twists and turns in Donald Trump’s legal saga.

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The Surprising Strategy Trump Could Use to Win His Manhattan Trial

Politico | April 11, 2024

The former president’s defense has taken some major hits, but Trump could still pull off an upset victory in court.

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A Supreme Court Justice Sounds a Warning

Politico | March 26, 2024

An interview with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer

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The Good, Bad and Ugly in a New Poll on Trump’s Trials and the Supreme Court

Politico | March 18, 2024

A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll suggests a conviction in the Manhattan trial could turn off independents.

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A ‘tremendous lapse in judgment’ by a Trump prosecutor

Politico | March 15, 2024

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A Warning for Democrats on the Hur Report

Politico | March 12, 2024

It could backfire big time if they attack the special counsel’s testimony on Capitol Hill.

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An unusual and revealing unanimous decision

Politico | March 4, 2024

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The Enormous Pressures About to Land on Judge Tanya Chutkan

Politico | March 2, 2024

The Supreme Court made a Jan. 6 Trump trial harder — but not impossible.

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What Happens, Exactly, If Trump Is Sentenced to Prison?

New York Magazine | February 5, 2024

The Secret Service doesn’t have a plan. Most inmates sleep in dorms. There’s also no Diet Coke.

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Inside Trump’s Costly Outburst: ‘Like an 8-Year-Old Having a Temper Tantrum’

Politico | February 1, 2024

Roberta Kaplan’s strategy delivered E. Jean Carroll $83 million from Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors may want to take note.

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The crisis within Texas’ border crisis

Politico | January 30, 2024

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A Reality Check on the Fani Willis Scandal

Politico | January 24, 2024

Is Trump’s Georgia prosecution about to get derailed?

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Polls Show Trump Could Be Doomed If He’s Convicted.
Will a Trial Happen in Time?

Politico | January 22, 2024

Here’s the real timeline for Trump’s criminal trials.

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The Vivek Ramaswamy Show Approaches its Finale

Politico | January 14, 2024

The 38-year-old entrepreneur’s campaign has been filled with outrages and provocations. Are the Iowa caucuses his last stand?

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It’s Maddening That the Supreme Court Could Decide 2024

New York Magazine | January 4, 2024

You can thank one liberal pipe dream and one overly cautious Justice Department.

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Ginni Thomas Is a Victim of Donald Trump’s Alleged Crimes

Politico | December 21, 2023

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas must recuse himself from the Trump cases.

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Trump’s Craziest Legal Argument May Be Headed to the Supreme Court

New York Magazine | December 13, 2023

And it will determine whether or not he goes on trial before the election.

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Lina Khan’s Rough Year

New York Magazine | December 12, 2023

When a liberal star took over the FTC, she was expected to break up big business. Instead, critics say, she’s broken the agency.

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Financial Fraudsters Have Escaped Justice for Far Too Long

The New York Times | November 13, 2023

The prosecution of Sam Bankman-Fried prosecution was an impressive victory in the fight against financial fraud, but we are still losing the war.

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Trump’s Big Loss From the Georgia Plea Deals

New York Magazine | October 25, 2023

The plea deals are in fact bad news for Trump, though not nearly as bad as they could have been, and in large part for reasons that are more subtle than the prevailing narrative suggests.

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The Power to Ruin a Federal Prosecution

New York Magazine | October 23, 2023

A short contribution to a special issue about the most powerful New Yorkers you’ve never heard of.

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Will Trump Actually Keep Trump Tower?

New York Magazine | October 19, 2023

Predicting how it will all end for the man is like trying to foresee both the trajectory and the fallout of an emerging tropical storm.

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We Asked Jury Consultants for Advice on How Trump Could Survive a Federal Trial

Politico | October 13, 2023

It wouldn’t be the first time an unpopular defendant faced a hostile jury.

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Donald Trump’s Bizarro Legal Strategy

Politico | October 4, 2023

If you’re in the process of losing a court case, it’s not a good idea to attack the presiding judge and his staff. Especially if the judge is also the jury.

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Menendez Followed the Supreme Court’s Bribery Playbook

New York Magazine | September 27, 2023

Public-corruption cases have become singularly challenging for the Justice Department, thanks mostly to the Supreme Court’s corruption-friendly rulings and to Congress’s self-serving acquiescence to them.

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Biden Needs to Talk About the Trump Prosecutions Before It’s Too Late

New York Magazine | September 25, 2023

And Hunter’s own case gives him more credibility to defend the rule of law.

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The Justice Department Controversy You Might Have Missed

Politico | September 18, 2023

An ambitious new antitrust playbook could reshape our economy — or completely backfire.

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Do Liberals Think the Supreme Court Will Save Us From Trump?

New York Magazine | September 17, 2023

Because that would have to happen to disqualify him from running under the 14th Amendment.

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Peter Navarro was his own worst enemy

Politico | September 8, 2023

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Lock Him Up? A New Poll Has Some Bad News for Trump

Politico | August 25, 2023

A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll punctures some prevailing political narratives about the Trump indictments.

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Actually, Hunter Biden Is Getting It Worse

New York Magazine | August 21, 2023

A bumbling Justice Department and GOP pressure make this prosecution anything but a “sweetheart deal.”

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Keep Your Eyes on Jack Smith

Politico | August 16, 2023

Prosecutor Fani Willis filed a sprawling new indictment against Donald Trump, but the Justice Department’s prosecution is likely to take priority.

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How Much Does Georgia v. Trump Matter?

New York Magazine | August 15, 2023

There are diminishing returns to all of the Trump prosecutions, but this one is a clear threat to his co-defendants.

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What to Make of the Hunter Biden Prosecution Debacle

New York Magazine | August 14, 2023

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Is It Possible Trump Will Strike a Plea Deal to Avoid Prison?

New York Magazine | August 10, 2023

Don’t bet on it.

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Trump’s Georgia indictment is looming

Politico | August 8, 2023

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The Pelosi Factor

New York Magazine | August 7, 2023

Trump’s longtime antagonist played an essential role in his historic indictment.

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The Most Important Criminal Prosecution in American History

New York Magazine | August 2, 2023

The Justice Department’s case against Trump is necessary and just.

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Why Trump Was Indicted (Again)

Politico | August 2, 2023

You can thank the January 6 committee.

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The case of Hunter Biden’s disappearing plea deal

Politico | July 29, 2023

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Trump’s ‘Elite Strike Force Team’ Falls on Hard Times

Politico | July 26, 2023

Inside the push to bring accountability to the lawyers that tried to overturn the 2020 election.

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The Sequel Will Be Worse

New York Magazine | July 10, 2023

Trump’s former Justice Department officials fear a second term.

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A New Poll on the Trump Indictments Has a Surprising Result

Politico | July 6, 2023

A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll finds one thing that unites people on the Trump indictments.

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The Supreme Court’s Conservatives Change the Rules of the Game

New York Magazine | June 30, 2023

They threw out one of Biden’s signature domestic policy initiatives on the basis of a legal doctrine that they made up about half an hour ago, and they blew a gigantic and easily-gamed hole through our country’s civil rights laws.

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The End of Affirmative Action Is Only the Beginning

New York Magazine | June 29, 2023

Yet again, the Supreme Court’s conservatives just get rid of precedents that they don’t like.

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Apocalypse Averted

New York Magazine | June 27, 2023

The Supreme Court rejects an absurd conservative legal theory that could have dramatically changed how elections are conducted.

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7 Dumb Defenses of Trump Since His Latest Indictment

New York Magazine | June 15, 2023

These are not good arguments.

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How Trump’s indictment defense might fend off the classified documents charges

Politico | June 14, 2023

Here are 6 things that Trump’s lawyers are almost certainly working on.

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How Screwed Is Trump?

Politico | June 11, 2023

The former president faces his most serious legal threat to date, but he is hard at work on his most potent defense — his reelection bid.

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The ‘Lock Him Up’ Election

New York Magazine | June 9, 2023

Whether Biden likes it or not, he will have to defend prosecuting Trump, who will absolutely end the case if he wins.

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The Chaos Inside Trump’s Legal Team

New York Magazine | June 8, 2023

His attorneys describe a dysfunctional operation as they expect more indictments.

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How Bad Is James Comey’s New Crime Novel, Really?

Slate | June 5, 2023

The evident sincerity and undeniable mediocrity of the effort are its most endearing qualities.

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Biden Is Running on the ‘Fight for Our Democracy’ — But He Hasn’t Been Winning It

New York Magazine | May 22, 2023

The nascent effort to construct a pro-democracy theory of the case for Biden’s reelection bid has so far proven awkward.

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What the Verdict in Trump’s Sexual Assault Trial Means

Politico | May 9, 2023

A new first — and a new low — for the former president.

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Disney Should Thank DeSantis for His Big Dumb Mouth

New York Magazine | May 3, 2023

The biggest asset the lawsuit about political retaliation are his own words.

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‘Does the Next Case Spell Doom for Fox News?’: Answering the Biggest Questions About the Settlement

New York Magazine | April 20, 2023

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Why Fox News had to settle the Dominion suit

Politico | April 18, 2023

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6 Key Things to Watch for in the Dominion vs. Fox News Trial

New York Magazine | April 17, 2023

The view from the courtroom is bleak for Murdoch.

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Prosecuted

New York Magazine | April 4, 2023

What to make of the criminal case against Donald Trump

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New York v. Trump

Politico | April 4, 2023

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Trump’s Prosecution Has Set a Dangerous Precedent

The New York Times | April 1, 2023

How could something so big — the first criminal indictment of an American president — seem so small?

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Michael Cohen Is Already Undermining the Trump Prosecution

New York Magazine | March 31, 2023

Immediately after the indictment, he says he didn’t really mean his guilty plea.

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Cheat Sheet

Politico | March 31, 2023

A quick guide to talking about the Trump indictment

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(In the Politico Weekend newsletter)


Trump Seems to Be the Victim of a Witch Hunt. So What?

Politico | March 30, 2023

It’s hard to believe prosecutors would bring this case against anyone else. But that doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

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Is Michael Cohen’s Big Mouth Derailing the Trump Prosecution?

New York Magazine | March 28, 2023

Michael Cohen and his pathological need for media attention have not been making things easier for the Manhattan DA’s office

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The First Case Against Trump Is … This?

New York Magazine | March 19, 2023

The first-ever criminal prosecution of a former president may be over secret payments to an adult film star.

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Is Fox News Really Doomed?

New York Magazine | March 16, 2023

The network appears prepared to lose a major defamation case

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In Defense of the Talkative Trump Grand Juror

New York Magazine | March 3, 2023

The media backlash played right into Trump and his lawyers’ hands

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Can Gary Gensler Survive Crypto Winter?

New York Magazine | February 23, 2023

D.C.’s top financial cop on crypto enforcement, regulation, and Sam Bankman-Fried

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Decoding the Fulton County document dump

Politico | February 17, 2023

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The Untold Story of the Lost Trump Investigation

New York Magazine | February 9, 2023

Thanks to Mark Pomerantz’s fight with Alvin Bragg, we know more than ever.

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The Merrick Garland You Don’t Know

Politico | January 15, 2023

The nation’s famously low-key attorney general is actually quite comfortable in the spotlight.

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Biden Throws Trump a Lifeline

New York Magazine | January 13, 2023

And the case against the ex-president was no slam dunk to begin with.

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The Best and Worst Cases Against Trump

New York Magazine | December 22, 2022

The January 6 committee gives the Justice Department a grab bag of options.

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The long shadow of the Jan. 6 report

Politico | December 21, 2022

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The Jan. 6 committee’s biggest achievement

Politico | December 19, 2022

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The Indictment of SBF Is a Bombshell

New York Magazine | December 13, 2022

We are not just talking about a swift arrest. This is more like the prosecutorial equivalent of breaking the sound barrier.

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The Trump Organization Was Convicted After a Truly Embarrassing Defense

New York Magazine | December 6, 2022

The lawyers acted like buffoons.

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Why Hasn’t Sam Bankman-Fried Been Arrested Yet?

New York Magazine | December 2, 2022

On the Madoff and SBF comparisons

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The Long Road Ahead for Jack Smith

New York Magazine | November 21, 2022

What his appointment to run the Trump probes does and doesn’t mean — and what to expect next.

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Will SBF Soon Be Wearing an Orange Jumpsuit?

New York Magazine | November 19, 2022

The over-under on SBF’s criminal risk.

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Trump Faces Five Major Investigations. He Has Dozens of Ways Out.

The New York Times | November 17, 2022

A graphic exploration!

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The Secret Court Battle That Threatens Trump After Election Day

New York Magazine | November 3, 2022

Prosecutors are obtaining potentially crucial testimony about January 6.

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The Real Reason Trump and Hunter Biden Might Not Get Indicted

Politico | October 19, 2022

Prosecutors aren’t robots. They have real discretion when it comes to deciding whether to indict someone.

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The Durham Debacle

New York Magazine | October 18, 2022

Another embarrassing defeat for the worst independent prosecutor since Ken Starr.

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Decoding Elon Musk’s Legal Surrender

New York Magazine | October 5, 2022

The exit strategy looks a lot like the acquisition strategy: Give Twitter’s board and shareholders no choice but to go along.

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Financial Crisis

New York Magazine | September 24, 2022

Letitia James’s fraud lawsuit against Trump is also an indictment of the Justice Department.

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Not Just Another Ex-Trump Official

New York Magazine | September 21, 2022

Geoffrey Berman, once Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, has a frightening message.

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It’s Good to Be the Former President

New York Magazine | September 6, 2022

An ominous ruling gives Trump his first major victory in the case of the missing documents.

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Mar-a-Lago and the Never-ending Case Against Trump

New York Magazine | August 29, 2022

What happens to the rule of law in purgatory?

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How cable TV pundits misread Trump’s legal troubles

Politico | August 18, 2022

The criminal plea of Allen Weisselberg is plainly bad news for Trump and his namesake company, but it is not nearly as bad as many anti-Trump legal pundits predicted.

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The American People Deserve to Know What the Justice Department Is Up To

The New York Times | August 11, 2022

After the Mar-a-Lago search, the department should be doing more to counter the condemnation from the right and address questions from the public.

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How the FBI got the keys to Mar-a-Lago

Politico | August 9, 2022

More on The Raid

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Making Sense of the Trump Raid

New York Magazine | August 9, 2022

Merrick Garland’s Justice Department takes its boldest step yet in pursuit of the former president.

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I Used to Work on Cases Like Twitter v. Musk. Here’s What Will Happen Next.

New York Magazine | July 30, 2022

Expensive lawyers with impressive pedigrees in a high-profile legal battle can seem gladiatorial and intimidating. The reality tends to be a lot less glamorous.

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The legal threat to Trumpworld in Georgia

Politico | July 29, 2022

The probe is worth watching closely, but as with all things when it comes to Trump and his legal battles, it is best not to presume that anyone knows the outcome for certain.

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Lock Him Up?

New York Magazine | July 23, 2022

Eight big takeaways from the January 6 hearings — and why they’ve been both impressive and frustrating.

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What the Jan. 6 Hearings Did — and Didn’t — Accomplish

Politico | July 22, 2022

An early assessment of the House select committee on its political, legislative and prosecutorial objectives.

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The Jan. 6 committee’s season finale

Politico | July 21, 2022

It’s been an eventful first season for a series that had a deceptively simple premise: Could a congressional committee free of Republican obstruction provide a comprehensive account of what led to the siege of the Capitol?

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How Announcing His 2024 Campaign Could Be Trump’s Best Legal Defense

Politico | July 14, 2022

The former president can throw a major wrench in the pending and potential criminal investigations that might implicate him.

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A Former Mueller Prosecutor Takes Merrick Garland to Task

Politico | July 12, 2022

Andrew Weissmann speaks out about the Jan. 6 committee hearings, how to prosecute a conspiracy, and the Justice Department’s investigation — or lack thereof — of Trump and his inner circle.

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Is ‘convergence’ the new ‘collusion’?

Politico | July 12, 2022

The term calls to mind the “collusion” framework that became central to Robert Mueller’s Trump-Russia investigation.

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The Jan. 6 Hearings May Be Undermining the Justice Department

Politico | July 6, 2022

DOJ has only itself to blame.

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The Odds Are Increasing That Trump Gets Charged

New York Magazine | June 29, 2022

Cassidy Hutchinson advances the 1/6 committee’s theory of the case, though it’s not a slam dunk.

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Trump’s Big Payback

New York Magazine | June 24, 2022

Trump delivered on his end of the bargain he made with Republican elites and voters years ago: the end of Roe

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Cheat Sheet

Politico | June 24, 2022

Some pointers in case you need to convince your friends that you spent several hours watching the Jan. 6 committee’s hearings.

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(In the Politico Weekend newsletter)


A Criminal Case Is Unfolding at the Jan. 6 Hearings — Against Trump’s Lawyer

Politico | June 23, 2022

The Justice Department should look closely at John Eastman’s conduct. But it’s not a slam dunk, and implicating Trump will be harder.

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Why Is the Justice Department Fighting With the Jan. 6 Committee?

Politico | June 21, 2022

Asking for the committee’s interview transcripts is both an unusual and unnecessary request for investigative work the Justice Department should have been doing itself all along.

Read


It’s Been a Bad Month for the Donald Trump Innocence Project

New York Magazine | June 20, 2022

His defenders denounce the hearings as a show trial even as they stand by John Durham.

Read


Did Trump Believe His Own “Bullshit”?

Politico | June 15, 2022

How do you establish that someone lied if they refuse to admit the truth?

Read
(In the Politico Nightly newsletter)


7 Big Questions for the Jan. 6 Committee

Politico | June 9, 2022

The committee’s hearings could provide the public with authoritative answers to some major questions about the siege of the U.S. Capitol and the run-up to the day’s events.

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Is the Justice Department Incompetent?

New York Magazine | May 19, 2022

A recent string of high-profile losses points to long-term institutional problems.

Read


John Durham Has Already Won

Politico | May 16, 2022

The Trump-era special prosecutor begins his first trial this week, but the verdict hardly matters.

Read


A Shipwreck, an Insurance Scam, and a Murderous Cover-Up

The New Republic | May 6, 2022

The suspicious death of a marine surveyor illuminates flows of illicit money in the global economy.

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The Justice Department’s Pandemic Fraud Enforcement Has Been Woefully Inadequate

Politico | April 22, 2022

And it may be too late now to crack down on the worst offenders.

Read


What James O’Keefe Won’t Say

New York Magazine | April 18, 2022

He claims he’s being railroaded over Ashley Biden’s diary, but he won’t answer the questions to end the speculation.

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It Doesn’t Matter Whether the Jan. 6 Committee Makes a Criminal Referral

Politico | April 12, 2022

The House’s Capitol riot panel can make a difference — simply by revealing what it’s found.

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Big Law’s Big Hypocrites

New York Magazine | April 8, 2022

Why are self-styled progressive lawyers working for Jeffrey Epstein’s friend, Leon Black?

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How Trump Appointees Are Undermining Jan. 6 Prosecutions

Politico | April 8, 2022

A series of questionable decisions points to a potentially dangerous partisan turn for federal trial judges.

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Ginni Thomas and the Conservative Rot at the Supreme Court

New York Magazine | March 26, 2022

Her texts don’t just spur ethical and legal questions, but reflect much larger problems.

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Beware Bill Barr

New York Magazine | March 18, 2022

His new book shows we have as much to fear from him as Donald Trump.

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The Son Who Brought Down His Insurrectionist Father

New York Magazine | March 8, 2022

Guy Reffitt was convicted in a landmark, emotionally wrenching case.

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How Merrick Garland May Have Laid a Trap for Biden

Politico | March 2, 2022

The attorney general’s deferral to local prosecutors to investigate the former president set a dangerous precedent for future Democrats.

Read


What Really Happened to the Criminal Investigation of Trump?

New York Magazine | February 24, 2022

What the resignation of two prosecutors says about the strength of the case

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Why Is Merrick Garland Defending the Trump Administration Again?

New York Magazine | February 15, 2022

A legal battle continues with families of victims of the Boeing 737 MAX crashes.

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The DOJ Needs to Do Much Better on Corporate Crime

Politico | January 28, 2022

Recent announcements to improve this area of enforcement constitute some small steps in the right direction, but small steps are glaringly insufficient to the scale of the problem.

Read


Biden’s Monopoly Games

New York Magazine | January 23, 2022

The Biden administration was supposed to mark a major shift in antitrust thinking. What happened?

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Is the New York Attorney General Closing In on Trump?

Politico | January 19, 2022

Letitia James made some bold new claims about her office’s ongoing investigation into Trump’s financial dealings, but landing criminal charges against the former president will be difficult.

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Worse Than Theranos

New York Magazine | January 19, 2022

As the Elizabeth Holmes trial concluded, another medical tech scandal was still unfurling

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What Does the DOJ’s New Jan. 6 Sedition Indictment Mean for Trump?

Politico | January 14, 2022

There are certainly dots to connect between the White House and those charged with conspiracy, but is there any reason to believe the department is actually closing in on the former president?

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How the 737 Max Crashes Got Lost

The New Republic | January 12, 2022

After disasters in 2018 and 2019, Boeing faced intense public pressure. Then the pandemic hit.

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No Reckoning for Silicon Valley

New York Magazine | January 4, 2022

Elizabeth Holmes was convicted, but the jury didn’t buy much of the government’s case.

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Trump’s Great Escape

New York Magazine | December 17, 2021

On the now-dubious prospect of a federal criminal investigation into Trump’s election shenanigans

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It Took Forever to Get Confirmed. Now All He Has to Do is Fix All of Antitrust Law.

Politico | December 14, 2021

The newly confirmed head of the DOJ’s antitrust division faces some serious obstacles in the coming year.

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The Trials of John Durham

New York Magazine | December 9, 2021

A series of recent revelations further undermines one of Durham’s prosecutions and underscores the challenges of covering the enigmatic prosecutor.

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Merrick Garland Gets Political, Whether He Likes It or Not

New York Magazine | November 26, 2021

He’s in a perilous position of his own making.

Read


The Bannon Contempt Case Shows Reform Is Needed at the DOJ

Politico | November 18, 2021

It’s time to overhaul the Office of Legal Counsel.

Read


Is Cy Vance Punting the Trump Investigation?

New York Magazine | November 5, 2021

There is little to provide in the way of reliable prognostication — and just enough information to fit a broad range of possibilities.

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The Democrats’ Loss in Virginia Is Merrick Garland’s Fault, Too

Slate | November 3, 2021

At the moment, Garland is on track to remain one of the most unpopular Democratic figures in American politics.

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Why Is Merrick Garland Going Easy on Jan. 6 Defendants?

Politico | October 21, 2021

Leniency is not necessarily a bad thing, but politically selective leniency belies the guiding principle of equal justice under law.

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Carlos Watson and Ozy Might Be in Real Legal Jeopardy

New York Magazine | October 5, 2021

Watson just gave a couple chatty interviews. But he’s speaking to regulators and prosecutors, too.

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Biden’s Justice Department Should Not Be Pursuing Trump’s Political Vendetta

Politico | September 30, 2021

It’s time to wrap up the Durham investigation.

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Elizabeth Holmes’s Last Pitch

New York Magazine | September 7, 2021

She now faces her greatest challenge: convincing a jury that she is not to blame for a massive fraud.

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Don’t treat Trump’s legal woes like the Mueller report

Columbia Journalism Review | August 6, 2021

The public deserves our best effort to convey and evaluate the full range of possibilities as facts continue to unfold, and to acknowledge the many uncertainties that remain.

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The Justice Department Is Turning a Blind Eye to White-Collar Crime

Politico | July 23, 2021

Financial crime is at record-high levels while prosecutions are declining — and the lack of DOJ attention is costing Americans hundreds of billions of dollars.

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Merrick Garland’s Moderation to Excess

The New York Review of Books | July 15, 2021

A great deal turns on whether the man who was, until recently, a long-serving federal judge can fulfill what the nation requires of him as its top law enforcement official at this crucial moment in history.

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Restorative Justice Requires an ‘All-of-the-Above Approach’

The American Prospect | July 13, 2021

A conversation with Alvin Bragg, New York City’s next top prosecutor

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The Problem With Prosecutor Punditry

New York Magazine | July 12, 2021

Experts keep promising the walls are closing in on Trump. Haven’t we learned anything?

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What the DOJ Isn’t Telling Us About Jan. 6

Politico | July 6, 2021

Merrick Garland can and should be more forthcoming about investigating the insurrection.

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How Bad Was Bill Barr?

The New Republic | July 6, 2021

Legal pundits have failed to pinpoint the greatest problems with the former attorney general.

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Why Trump Probably Won’t Be Charged

New York Magazine | July 1, 2021

All of this — the build-up, the frenzied coverage, the prognosticating — feels rather familiar, and not in a particularly good way.

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Merrick Garland’s Job Is to Root Out Trump-Era Corruption at DOJ. He’s Failing.

Slate | June 11, 2021

At the moment, there is an outward casualness to this issue that is peculiar and frankly disturbing.

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Why Is Merrick Garland Defending Donald Trump?

Slate | June 8, 2021

Garland’s decisions seem to reflect a far too cramped view of what people have taken to calling “institutionalism”

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Biden Isn’t Holding Trump Accountable. Sheldon Whitehouse Is Very Concerned.

The New Republic | May 5, 2021

An in-depth interview with the Democratic senator about Supreme Court reform, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley’s culpability in the Capitol riot, and the importance of investigating the previous administration

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The Republicans’ Unhinged, Baseless Attacks on Biden’s DOJ Nominees

The New Republic | April 21, 2021

Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke are eminently qualified for senior positions in the Justice Department. So why are Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton painting these two nonwhite women as radicals?

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Who Will Answer for the Deliberate Child Cruelty?

The New York Review of Books | April 9, 2021

Trump officials who enforced the family separation policy have so far had a pass. This can’t be a repeat of the failed accountability over Bush-era torture.

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A Top Mueller Deputy on How to Prosecute Trump

New York Magazine | April 8, 2021

Andrew Weissmann says the Manhattan DA has advantages his old team didn’t. Still, it could come down to flipping the ex-president’s accountant.

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DOJ lawyer right to discuss Capitol riots on '60 Minutes'

USA Today | March 30, 2021

He gave the public information they deserve to know — how the government is handling a crucial investigation. Justice, meanwhile, overstepped and has set a bad precedent.

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The DOJ Must Crack Down on the Scourge of Online Scams

WIRED | March 24, 2021

A new FBI report proves that the Justice Department is failing to combat internet fraud. Here’s how the government should address that.

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Is Merrick Garland Really the Right Man for the Job?

The New Republic | March 2, 2021

The fate of countless Americans, and those who aspire to be American, depends on how Merrick Garland will meet his task.

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Pelosi’s 9/11-Style Commission Doesn’t Go Far Enough

Politico | February 18, 2021

Trump’s late-term betrayals of American trust don’t just require more information. They call for a criminal investigation. Here’s why.

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Everybody Calm Down About GameStop

The Wall Street Journal | February 11, 2021

Take a deep breath, study what happened, and resist the urge to take hasty action.

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First task for post-Trump Justice Department: Restoring trust

The Washington Post | February 8, 2021

Under Barr, the department aggressively prosecuted an FBI lawyer over an altered email while letting far greater abuses go unchecked.

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The Justice Department Is Way Too White

The New Republic | February 8, 2021

Biden has taken some critical first steps in making the Department of Justice more representative of America, but there’s more work to be done.

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A Crime Epidemic Has Cost Americans Billions. Why Aren't More People Paying Attention?

TIME Magazine | January 27, 2021

We are in the midst of a domestic and global epidemic of financial crime that got significantly worse under Trump.

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The Trump Administration Let Boeing Settle a Killer Case for Almost Nothing

New York Magazine | January 23, 2021

One of the most lenient corporate criminal deals ever was cut quietly during the president’s final weeks in power.

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Was the Latest Family Separation Report a Whitewash?

Slate | January 21, 2021

There is no way to “effectively prepare for” and “implement” a child torture program.

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Boeing’s deal with the DoJ highlights the limits of US justice

The Financial Times | January 17, 2021

The public expects consequences for corporate misconduct, and companies want the DoJ to have a predictable, rational and coherent criminal enforcement regime. None of that is happening now.

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Merrick Garland’s Arrival at DOJ Cannot Come Soon Enough

Slate | January 7, 2021

We are all stuck hoping for the best as this miserable administration comes to an end.

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Wanted: Lead Suspect in Election Fraud Conspiracy

The New York Review of Books | January 6, 2021

Once Trump leaves office, he loses immunity. After his attempted coup, let’s not award him impunity instead.

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Flight of the Barr Bros

The New Republic | December 22, 2020

They’re young, white, male, and ready to cash in on their work for Trump’s Justice Department.

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The Trump Administration’s Double Standard of Justice

The Atlantic | December 10, 2020

A federal judge will decide next month whether the U.S. legal system treats presidential allies differently from presidential antagonists.

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Sally Yates Deserves Serious Consideration for Attorney General

Slate | November 24, 2020

 Yates may have comported herself better than any of the other key players in the Flynn saga, notwithstanding the claims of conservative cranks and conspiracy theorists.

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The Case for Prosecuting Trump

The New York Review of Books | November 20, 2020

 Putting the former president on criminal trial carries big political risks. But to let this lawless leader off scot-free may be more dangerous still.

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Trump Is Far More Vulnerable to Federal Prosecution than People Think

Slate | November 12, 2020

 Trump’s own Justice Department may have made it easier to pursue him.

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How to De-Trumpify the Justice Department

The New Republic | November 9, 2020

 After four years of corruption and venality, can the country's law enforcement agency be saved?

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The Whistleblower’s Dilemma

Columbia Journalism Review | October 30, 2020

 What news outlets owe to whistleblowers and how well-meaning journalists fall short

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The Justice Department’s Very Convenient Corporate Crackdown

The New Republic | October 23, 2020

From Purdue to Google, what explains the Trump administration's recent surge in white-collar cases?

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What Caused the “Flash Crash”?

The Los Angeles Review of Books | October 15, 2020

Does it matter if the government unfairly presented Navinder Sarao as the cause of the Flash Crash?

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No One’s Hands Are Clean at the Justice Department

The New Republic | October 13, 2020

Why officials at every level are implicated in the department’s worst abuses of the Trump era, starting with its family separation policy

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The Trump Taxes Story Exposes a Glaring Hole in Biden’s Criminal Justice Platform

Politico | October 10, 2020

It’s not too late to campaign on greater prosecution of financial crimes.

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Rod Rosenstein Is the Best Emblem of Trump Administration Culpability

Slate | October 8, 2020

A clearer picture of Rosenstein has emerged—as someone consumed, first and foremost, with his own survival and his own ascension.

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Bill Barr’s Cynical Efforts to Manipulate the Press Are Getting Cruder

Slate | September 28, 2020

The Trump administration has transformed the work of the Justice Department’s once-staid public affairs apparatus into yet another partisan instrument of the administration.

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When the Rule of Law Turns into Rule By Law

The New York Review of Books | September 25, 2020

This selective use of the law is dangerous precisely because it has a veneer of legal legitimacy that covers a corruption deeply corrosive to the political order.

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Will the Manhattan District Attorney Be the New Robert Mueller?

The Wall Street Journal | August 17, 2020

The Mueller investigation should have generated some serious self-reflection throughout the media and among the legal commentariat about getting too far ahead of the facts.

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The Court Proceedings in the Michael Flynn Case Have Turned Into a Farce

Slate | August 12, 2020

The end result could be vacuous legal proceduralism.

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The Justice Department isn’t just corrupt. It also bungled the pandemic.

The Washington Post | August 6, 2020

The public relies on legal institutions for protection during a pandemic. The department seems dangerously uninterested.

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There’s Never Been a Better Time to Be a White-Collar Criminal

The New Republic | July 23, 2020

Thanks to the Trump administration’s signature mix of incompetence and corruption, America is knee-deep in fraud and corporate malfeasance.

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Barr’s new U.S. attorney pick has no idea how to do the job

The Washington Post | June 27, 2020

Jay Clayton’s experience running the Securities and Exchange Commission does not translate to his proposed new role.

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DOJ Ethics Office Says Bill Barr Can Investigate Political Enemies Under False Pretext

Slate | June 25, 2020

The Justice Department’s internal ethics watchdog has concluded that there is nothing wrong with the attorney general launching entirely “pretextual” investigations.

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The Judge in the Michael Flynn Case Is Botching His Effort to Defend the Rule of Law

Slate | June 8, 2020

Judges cannot guarantee the rule of law, but they have a responsibility to their fellow Americans to try.

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The Insider Trading Investigation of Richard Burr Is in Terrible Hands

Slate | May 20, 2020

The office is best known for having failed virtually every high-profile assignment that it has taken over the last 15 years.

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The Wayward Hunt for Stimulus Fraud

The Wall Street Journal | May 11, 2020

The Justice Department is set to punish good-faith loan-application errors but overlook a wave of scams.

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How the Federal Government Allowed Coronavirus Scammers to Flourish

Slate | March 25, 2020

They are the result of a yearslong, systematic failure by the federal government to combat frauds that have been in plain sight and increasing at alarming rates.

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