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Ryan Goodman Profile picture
@rgoodlaw
Apr 30, 2021 • 5 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
Washington Post scoop:

FBI gave #RonJohnson defensive briefing in 2020 warning he was being targeted by Russia to spread disinformation on Biden.

What did he do?

He considered it “completely useless and unnecessary”

With his usual paranoia, he thought FBI briefing was a trick
2. And then, worse of all, Johnson continued to use his office to act as a conduit for the Russian disinformation campaign to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

As @AshaRangappa_ and I detailed at length here.👇

justsecurity.org/71947/how-sen-…
3. Here’s the Washington Post report.

The headline is about Giuliani,
But lots of details about FBI’s warning Senator Johnson.

(scoop by @nakashimae @shaneharris @thamburger)

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
4. Ron Johnson in his own—self-incriminating—words:

“I suspected that the briefing was being given to be used at some future date for the purpose that it is now being used: to offer the biased media an opportunity to falsely accuse me of being a tool of Russia despite warnings.”
5. Worth recalling this is not a partisan issue.

Fellow Republican Senators—including Richard Burr and Marco Rubio—warned Johnson that he was using his congressional powers in a way that could aid the Kremlin’s efforts.

@AndrewDesiderio report in 2020:
politico.com/news/2020/02/2…

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More from @rgoodlaw

Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Nov 22
On patently unlawful boat strikes

Hard for USGs to claim ‘mistake of law’ or ‘advice of counsel’ – when they’re firing lawyers who wouldn't sign off on the strikes.

WaPo's new revelations on firing/removal:

CIA General Counsel
NSC Legal Adviser
CIA Mission Center’s lawyer
🧵 Image
2/ CIA Acting General Counsel, career lawyer, "was among those who had raised questions about the legality of the agency’s use of lethal force."

What happened next?

CIA Deputy Director Ellis took over as acting GC and still held his policy position. He then approved the ops. Image
3/ The National Security Counsel's Legal Adviser Paul Ney (who earlier served loyally as Trump 1.0 Pentagon General Counsel) "had been among the lawyers who had raised concerns about the legality of lethal strikes."

He was cast out in May. Image
Read 7 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Nov 21
A Thursday in U.S. courts

1) "This Court has grave concerns about the government’s apparent willingness to disregard this Court’s orders, even after previous admonition."

- Judge Stephanie Gallagher, Trump appointee, Nov. 20, 2025
2) "At some point, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to believe almost anything that [U.S. Government] Defendants represent."

- Judge Sara Ellis, November 20, 2025
3) "There's no way to sugarcoat it, it was in defiance of my order."

- Judge Paula Xinis, November 20, 2025 (re Government witness in Kilmar Abrego Garcia case)

(via @JaredForetek)
law360.com/articles/24121…
Read 4 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Nov 3
Today, Trump-Hegseth run out of time on War Powers Resolution and boat strikes.

DOJ has come up with a theory why the law does not apply.

It's wrong, and per this article, several GOP Senators and a Trump cabinet member flat rejected that theory when Obama tried it in 2011.
1/ Image
2/ In 2011 Libya operation, Obama tried the same theory as part of a four-factor test. Trump does not even have three of those four factors.

On the fourth one, which Obama tried (and now Trump does) there was very strong bipartisan pushback including from ...

Kristi Noem... Image
3/ In 2011, those in Congress who flat rejected the Obama (now Obama-Trump) theory of "hostilities" on War Powers Resolution included:

@SenMikeLee
@SenBillCassidy
@JohnCornyn
@SenRonJohnson
@SenRandPaul
@SenatorTimScott
@SenCapito

@KristiNoem

Standing by principle, ...
Read 7 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Oct 24
Boat strikes put U.S. service members in legal jeopardy:

"Some junior officers have asked military lawyers, known as judge advocates general or JAGs, for written sign-off before taking part in strikes .... It does not appear that such memos were furnished." Image
2/ "Career military and civilian lawyers in the Defense Department and lawyers at other agencies who might otherwise be involved in the deliberations have left government or been excluded from the discussions."
3/ "Lawyers at the NSC, State Department, Justice Department and the Pentagon earlier this year questioned the legal basis for military strikes on cartels without authorization from Congress, and for a while were able to forestall action."
Read 4 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Oct 19
It’s important to understand why DOJ indictment of John Bolton seems very different than Letitia James and Jim Comey indictments.

1. Biden administration opened the criminal investigation of John Bolton in 2022. It's been detailed investigative work ever since.

CNN⤵️

🧵 Image
2. Yes, the Biden DOJ did not indict Bolton. But they also did not close the investigation.

Plus CNN reports: “Unlike prosecutions brought against Comey and James, the Bolton case has maintained the support of career prosecutors and investigators.” Image
3. The Bolton Indictment is signed by career prosecutors (unlike James and Comey indictments). Image
Read 6 tweets
Ryan Goodman Profile picture
Oct 6
What was the real message at Quantico?

Janine Davidson (former Undersecretary of Navy and former Chair of Defense Policy Board) discusses:

The domestic paradigm shift in President Trump's addressing Active Duty military leaders with National Guard Adjunct Generals excluded.
🧵 Image
2/3 source:

Trump’s Outline of a Domestic War - The real message from Quantico
justsecurity.org/121940/trumps-…
3/3 audio version via Just Security's Out Loud series

buzzsprout.com/2509956/episod…
Read 4 tweets

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