On the SCOTUS segment during tonight's debate:
- We didn't learn much we didn't already know about where Trump and Biden stand on filling RBG's seat. Trump made clear they'll push Barrett's nomination through during the lame duck session if they can't get her confirmed by Nov. 3
- Trump asked how Biden could know Judge Barrett's views on Roe v. Wade. Setting aside what we know about Barrett's views on abortion and how she's voted on the bench, Trump has explicitly said he will pick justices who will reverse Roe so...that's one way Biden could know
- Biden declines to engage on whether he'd support court packing (he's prev. said he doesn't support it), pivots instead on making a pitch to people to vote.
But court packing will now go down in history as the issue that prompted Biden to say to Trump, "Will you shut up man"
- I will continue this thread since the courts came up again. Trump repeated his line that he'll have 300 federal judges confirmed by the end of his first term. The math on that doesn't add up. From the last time I went down this rabbithole:
- Trump criticized Obama for leaving a lot of federal court vacancies open by the end of his second term. Dems faulted Obama for moving too slow on noms in hist first term, but the reason there were so many vacancies by 2017 was McConnell slowed action on nominees in 2016
- Trump is asked if he's counting on SCOTUS, incl. with a Justice Barrett, to settle mail-in voting fights. Trump replies: "I think I'm counting on them to look at the ballots definitely. I hope we don't need them in terms of the election itself. But for the ballots I think so."
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A DC judge said today he’ll likely order the Trump admin's government efficiency office to preserve its records; no immediate ruling on whether DOGE is subject to FOIA buff.ly/mycbsPj
The judge told the DOJ lawyer appearing today in the DOGE FOIA case to "advise your clients" ASAP about the likelihood of a preservation order. Trump admin contends the records law doesn't apply to DOGE bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
The judge told the DOJ lawyer appearing today in the DOGE FOIA case to "advise your clients" ASAP about the likelihood of a preservation order. Trump admin contends the records law doesn't apply to DOGE bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
ICYMI: Trump announced a new policy requiring DOJ to demand in court that challengers suing the admin should have to post money bonds if they win orders blocking his actions. Several judges have already rejected such requests buff.ly/11JLZfZ
DC judge denied motion to restrict DOGE access at Treasury. NY judge's injunction remains in place for now.
DC judge said plaintiffs couldn't show irreparable harm re: personal data becoming public -- but they could come back if the situation changed assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
Overnight: Washington state AG filed a contempt motion accusing the Trump administration of defying an injunction that blocked cutting off federal funds to institutions that provide gender-affirming care in the states that sued assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
We've got ourselves an old fashioned Friday news dump. What's happened over the past few hours:
- SCOTUS declined, for now, to let Trump oust the head of a federal whistleblower protection agency, letting the official stay in the job until at least Wednesday. From Greg Stohr: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
- DOJ took the unusual step of confirming that it had filed a misconduct complaint against a DC fed judge over her handling of recent hearings in litigation over Trump's effort to bar trans troops from serving in the US military. With Erik Larson: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
A Mass. federal judge set a hearing for tomorrow on whether to immediately halt the Elon Musk-affiliated "Fork in the Road" deferred resignation offer for federal workers from the Trump admin. Prev: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Meanwhile, a DC federal judge is holding a hearing now on whether to intervene re: Treasury Dept. giving info to Musk's DOGE team. Prev: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Some more court action later in the day:
- Re: Trump's bar on transgender troops, judge isn't ruling on the motion for an immediate TRO after US basically said status quo will remain pending a fight over a longer-term prelim injunction, but judge says govt must immediately alert her + plaintiffs if that'll change
- DC federal judge set a Friday hearing to consider whether to grant a TRO blocking DOGE from getting access to Dept. of Labor systems and information. See earlier from @swillmer: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Interesting hearing this evening in Missouri’s lawsuit seeking to block DOJ from sending two election observers to monitor a St. Louis polling site on Election Day. No ruling from the bench (recap below)
Complaint: assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
DOJ oppo: assets.bwbx.io/documents/user…
Missouri argues state law spells out who can enter a polling place to observe and DOJ monitors aren’t covered. DOJ says there’s a 2021 settlement with the St. Louis board of elections for ADA violations re: disability access that allows this
But Missouri AG says it appeared it was news to state officials that this agreement was in effect, and more broadly, that the board lacked authority to enter into the monitoring term in the first place. Which raises some Qs for the judge...
Hello on this stunning September morning from the DC federal courthouse, where Judge Tanya Chutkan is holding the first hearing in the Trump case since SCOTUS kicked it back to her. Trump won't be here. Waiting to see what kind of schedule Chutkan will set for the next round of fights over the future of the indictment bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Trump's lawyers all just entered the courtroom, and also thrilled to report that courthouse security dog Legend is here and continues to be a Very Good Dog (no pics allowed I'm afraid)