Two New York Cases Lend Credibility to Trump's Complaint of Partisan Persecution
Neither Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg nor New York Attorney General Letitia James can explain exactly who was victimized by the dishonesty they cite.
Campaign Finance
Alvin Bragg Is Trying To Punish Trump for Something That Is Not a Crime
The essence of the case, the Manhattan D.A. says, is that Trump "corrupt[ed] a presidential election" by concealing embarrassing information.
The Real Scandal in Washington Is the Government's Reckless Spending
Those sounding the loudest alarms about possible shutdowns are largely silent when Congress ignores its own budgetary rules. All that seems to matter is that government is metaphorically funded.
Trump's New York Indictment Was Just the Beginning of His Legal Woes
The Manhattan case stinks of partisan politics, but Trump faces more serious legal jeopardy on at least three other fronts.
Was Anyone Victimized by Trump's 34 Alleged Felonies?
The case against the former president is both morally dubious and legally shaky.
A "Water Pistol Unnecessarily Preceding" a "Missile-Launching F-35 Attack": Thoughts on the New York Trump Indictment
Trump very much deserves to be prosecuted and punished. But the New York case is far more dubious than the other charges likely to be brought against him.
Prosecutors Are Still Hazy About What Crime Trump Was Trying To Conceal by Falsifying Business Records
The continuing ambiguity reflects the legal challenges that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg faces in transforming one hush payment into 34 felonies.
It Looks Like Donald Trump Will Finally Be Indicted Later Today
Plus: Debating whether GPT-4 actually understands language, U.S. immigration law stops a college basketball star from scoring, and more...
Apocalypse Tomorrow: Trump's Looming Indictment
Plus: the terrible case for pausing A.I. innovation
The Shaky New York Case Against Trump Reeks of Desperation To Punish a Reviled Political Opponent
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is relying on debatable facts and untested legal theories to transform minor misconduct into a felony.
Trump Indictment Could Be the Jolt His Flailing 2024 Campaign Needs
Plus: Evidence that social media causes teen health problems "isn't convincing," more states ban gender transition treatments for minors, and more...
Of Course, the Trump Indictment Is Political
Plus: A listener asks the editors if the nation is indeed unraveling or if she is just one of "The Olds" now.
Is the Manhattan D.A. Upholding or Flouting the Rule of Law by Prosecuting Trump?
The case hinges on the claim that the former president tried to cover up a campaign finance violation with which he was never charged.
New York Arrest Would Be a Gift for Trump
Plus: Libertarians ask Supreme Court to consider New York ballot access rule change, Wyoming bans abortion pills, and more...
Transforming Stormy Daniels' Hush Payment Into a Felony Would Reinforce Trump's 'Witch Hunt' Complaint
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg reportedly intends to prosecute Trump for falsifying business records.
Why Did George Santos Lie About His Past To Get Elected to Congress?
The massive power of federal government attracts frauds.
Democrats Spent Millions Boosting Far-Right Republicans. How Did It Pan Out?
And is this a good precedent to be setting?
Guardrails of Democracy, Extended: Comparing Notes On The Team Libertarian Report
Fifth post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. Walter Olson of Team Libertarian comments on similarities and differences between the three reports.
An Upgrade, not a Rebuild
Fourth post in the symposium on the National Constitution Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project. David French presents the Team Conservative Report.
When They Attack 'Dark Money,' They're Really Attacking Free Speech
Republicans take a page from the Democrats’ book by crying “dark money” during Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing.
Exposing Donations to Political Causes Can Chill Free Speech
Two lessons from the Canadian truckers' protest
These Nonprofit 'Disclosure' Requirements Are an Assault on the First Amendment
A California rule and a bill approved by the House seem designed to chill freedom of speech and freedom of association.
Worried About Money in Politics? The 2020 Election Showed Political Cash Can't Buy Electoral Victory.
With a lot of money spent for little results, the most recent election was a rebuttal to arguments for campaign finance reform.
Courts Should Check 'Majority Rule'
Democrats and Republicans agree on that point, although they disagree about what it means in practice.
Defending Amy Coney Barrett, Ted Cruz Highlights the Threats That Democrats Pose to Civil Liberties
The Texas senator notes the opposing party's blind spots on freedom of speech and the right to arms.
SCOTUS Contender James Ho Combines Respect for Free Speech and Gun Rights With a Troubling Deference to Cops
The 5th Circuit judge is a mixed bag from a libertarian perspective.
Two Billionaires Demonstrate the Limits of Money in Elections
No amount of money can buy victory for candidates who fail to persuade voters.
The Bloomberg and Steyer Fiascoes Should Give Pause to Speech Restrictionists
No amount of money can buy victory for candidates who fail to persuade voters.
Bloomberg Drops Out, Demonstrating the Limits of Money and the Perils of Arrogance
The former New York City mayor has never been good at concealing his conviction that he is smarter and better than the rest of us.
Losers Bloomberg and Steyer Spent Millions. Stop Freaking Out About Money in Politics.
Michael Bloomberg spent at least $500 million in his bid for a Super Tuesday blitz. He came away with...American Samoa.
What Would Samuel Adams Think of Michael Bloomberg's Campaign?
"I hope our country will never see the time, when either riches or the want of them will be the leading considerations in the choice of public officers," Adams wrote in 1776.
Bloomberg, Steyer Showing Money Can't Buy Elections After Failed $200 Million Ad Blitz
The two Democratic billionaires have spent a combined $200 million on campaign ads already. That doesn't mean much to them, but the opportunity costs are staggering.
Los Angeles Bans Developers From Making Campaign Donations
In the midst of a housing crisis, L.A. politicians have decided to limit their own incentives to allow more housing construction.
'We Can Fact Check Your Ass,' but Not When It Comes to Political Ads
Twitter has made a bad decision when it comes to banning political ads from its site. They should trust users to decide what is right or wrong.
Does Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Take on His Chat With Trump Show the President 'Did Absolutely Nothing Wrong'?
The Ukrainian president's benign interpretation of Trump's conduct is relevant to the impeachment inquiry but not dispositive.
Privacy for Rights Isn't a Trade Americans Should Be Forced To Make
Should participation in an election hinge on a voter's identity being made public? Of course not.
Did Trump Commit a Crime by Seeking a Ukrainian Investigation of Joe Biden? And Does It Matter for Impeachment Purposes?
The president's critics have several legal theories, ranging from frivolous to debatable.
Democrats Join Trump in Seeking Balance by Policing Speech
The constitutional amendment they support, like the president’s plan to regulate social media, trusts the government to moderate our political debate.
Every Democrat in the Senate Supports a Constitutional Amendment That Would Radically Curtail Freedom of Speech
The Democracy for All Amendment aims to mute some voices so that others can be heard.
Senate Democrats Back Constitutional Amendment to Undo Citizens United
Plus: Marijuana banking, suing Facebook, and more...
Rep. Joaquin Castro's Doxxing of Trump Donors in His District Has Flipped the Campaign Finance Discourse on Its Head
Political donations are made public so that citizens can hold politicians accountable, not the other way around.
Is Money Speech? Free Speech Rules (Episode 5)
Episode 5 of Free Speech Rules, from UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh
Is Accepting Information About a Political Opponent From a Foreigner 'an Assault on Our Democracy'?
Nancy Pelosi's overwrought take on Donald Trump's receptiveness to "oppo research" is hard to take seriously.
Justice Department Tells Republicans to Hand Over Records on Cindy Yang and Other Chinese-American Supporters
Plus: humanitarians face felonies for helping migrants, Huawei scientists banned from reviewing prestigious journal, and more...
Giuliani Says There Was 'Nothing Wrong With Taking Information From Russians,' but Trump Clearly Thought Otherwise
Although it's not all clear that the Trump Tower meeting was criminal, the president knew it would look bad.
Bernie, Kamala, and Probably Beto Raised More Money in the First Quarter Than Gary Johnson Did During Entire 2016 Campaign
Sobering reminder for all current and future Libertarians: A previously unknown mayor from a midsized Indiana college town will soon shatter the high-water fundraising numbers for America's third party.
To Reduce Money in Politics, Slash the Size of Government
Reformers always have a new scheme to take "the money out of politics," but it usually just makes the government larger and campaign spending increase.
First on Nancy Pelosi's Agenda: Attacking Free Expression
Campaign finance legislation is always about inhibiting someone's speech.