NEW: Today, while announcing the indictment of Sean “Diddy” Combs, SDNY U.S. Attorney Damian Williams thanked the victims and witnesses who have stepped forward so far. But there is one whose story looms largest in the indictment: Cassie Ventura, his ex-partner. 1/ Ventura filed a civil complaint against Combs last November in federal court that was settled a day later. But the complaint is still available—and a quick read highlights that many of the incidents she alleged are also core to the indictment. 2/

NEW: I watched a portion of the Trump press conference today--but it wasn't until I read his comments that I realized that just a day after New York's highest court upheld the gag order, he arguably violated it again. 1/ Trump focused his ire on "one person in particular" who he characterized as having been sent by the White House from DOJ to New York to get NY Attorney General Tish James's civil fraud case started, "then go to the DA in Manhattan." 2/

NEW: Judge Chutkan vowed to enter a scheduling order before day’s end. And she did, granting Jack Smith’s proposal to submit a “comprehensive” brief on immunity, including supporting evidence, by 9/26. 1/

That briefing will wrap up by late October, at which point she “will determine whether further proceedings are necessary.” 2/

NEW: Trump has asked SDNY Judge Alvin Hellerstein to stay his own order denying Trump leave to seek removal of the Manhattan DA’s case to federal court. Is that because staying the order would mean the removal notice is still pending—and therefore, Merchan can’t sentence Trump? (If you interpret the order as a denial of leave, and not a summary remand, this doesn’t work. But I’ll bet this is their thinking.)

NEW: Federal court denies Trump's motion for leave to seek removal a second time, finding no good cause. 1/ Judge Alvin Hellerstein first holds that federal courts' limited jurisdiction does not allow him to take over a case because of Merchan's alleged bias. 2/

The Manhattan DA's office hasn't said a word in federal court with respect to Trump's efforts to move the hush money case there. But their letter to Judge Merchan makes clear where they stand. 1/ First, they remind him that Trump's removal efforts don't preclude him from ruling on two pending motions Trump brought before him: one to set aside the verdict and one to postpone his sentencing. 2/

Tomorrow’s the first working day of September—and we could see action in both state and federal courts as soon as tomorrow in Trump’s criminal cases. 1/ First, Trump has asked Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw his Manhattan criminal trial, to postpone his sentencing, a request that the Manhattan DA did not outright oppose. Merchan has yet to decide that motion. 2/

NEW: Trump has filed a second notice of removal of the Manhattan DA's hush money case to federal court in what reads like a bid to prevent any sentencing hearing from going forward. 1/ Why would I say that? Because while the motion is premised on changes in federal law, especially the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, that case came down on July 1. Trump has not sought removal until now. 2/

The GA State Election Board, which was sued earlier this week by county election board members, voters, and Democratic Party organizations, has just opened its own account here. 1/

https://twitter.com/georgia_seb/status/1828599646387614129

And the account is operated, apparently, not by the chair or its executive director, but by Dr. Janice Johnston, one of the GOP members singled out by Trump for praise. 2/

sos.ga.gov/page/about-sta…

On September 5, a non-profit called The America Project will be hosting a gala at Trump’s Bedminster, NJ club “to provide much-needed assistance to the January 6th defendants who continue to face significant challenges.” 1/

americaproject.com/event/j6-award… While advertising for the gala notes only that Trump has been invited and not that he plans to attend, his legal team has an event of consequence that morning in D.C.: a status conference before Judge Chutkan. 2/

NEW(ish): Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has not insisted on proceeding with Trump's Sept. 18 sentencing, as many had expected, but tells Judge Merchan he will defer to the judge's determination of when sentencing should happen. 1/ His letter to the court -- while neutral as to the result -- flags issues raised by Trump's request to postpone the sentencing, both good and bad. 2/

The Georgia Election Board convened this morning at 9 am to consider several proposed rule changes, including one that would require hand counting of GA ballots. 1/ Another proposed rule they are weighing this morning would allow any individual county election board member to request any and all election-related documentation before certifying county-level results. 2/

NEW: The letter Trump's lawyers just sent to Judge Merchan asking him to postpone sentencing until after the election contains multiple flaws. But it also highlights how ill equipped the Supreme Court's immunity decision is to resolve key procedural questions in the NY case. 1/ Let's start with what's problematic. Yes, the founder of the political consulting firm in which Judge Merchan's daughter is a minority partner (and does not currently service political clients) is personally involved in the Harris-Walz campaign. 2/

NEW: In a letter responding to Jim Jordan's request for documents and information, the political consulting firm in which Judge Merchan's daughter is a minority partner reveals that she and the firm's co-founder have received death threats--and that other firm employees have been threatened as well. 1/ Authentic Campaign's co-founder Mike Nellis writes, "Since these unfounded allegations surfaced, Loren Merchan and I have faced death threats and harassment, and suffered reputational damage. 2/

NEW: Judge Juan Merchan has now denied Trump’s third motion for Merchan’s recusal, which argued that Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee — and Merchan’s daughter’s prior work on her behalf — changed the calculus. Merchan disagreed. 1/ Not only was he given the OK over a year ago by an advisory panel on judicial ethics, he notes, but the motion was made 48 days after the deadline for post-trial motions. But the real nail in the coffin as far as Merchan was concerned? Trump offered nothing new. 2/

As @JoyceWhiteVance notes, a civil suit like this would allow discovery on both sides. And one thing DOJ would get to find out is whether Trump himself (or any business he owns) paid his alleged $15 million in legal fees incurred in defending against the Mar-a-Lago case, or whether, for example, his leadership PAC, Save America, actually assumed those costs for him through the generosity of his donors. But the actual filing of any lawsuit likely is a long way off. In order to sue the federal government for civil damages, claimants must use the procedures laid out in the Federal Tort Claims Act--and by sending DOJ a notice of claim, that's what Trump is doing here. 2/

NEW: Tanya Chutkan has accepted Jack Smith’s request for 3 more weeks to develop a proposed game plan—and that means the master schedule for Trump’s legal world has shifted again. If you are keeping track at home, here’s the newest iteration: 1/ • Week of 8/11: Judge Merchan to rule on Trump’s third motion to recuse Merchan;

• 8/21: NYAG’s brief due in Trump’s appeal of the civil fraud verdict;

• 8/27: Special Counsel’s brief due in its appeal of Judge Cannon’s dismissal of the Mar-a-Lago docs case; 2/

NEW: Trump and Jack Smith were scheduled to tell Tanya Chutkan tomorrow how the DC election interference case should move forward. Instead, Smith told her tonight that he needs until the end of the month to propose next steps. 1/ In a two-page filing signed by both sides, Smith said his team "has not finalized its position on the most appropriate schedule for the parties to brief issues related to the decision" and that they need until August 30 to "provide the Court with an informed proposal" that reflects its consultation with other DOJ offices/units. 2/

If you follow Trump legal, here are upcoming deadlines/events:

• 8/9: Joint status report due in Chutkan case;

• Week of 8/11: Merchan to rule on Trump’s 3rd recusal request;

• 8/16: Status conference in Chutkan case, 10 am ET;

1/ • 8/27: Special Counsel’s appellate brief due re: dismissal of Mar-a-Lago case;

• 9/6: Appellate argument on first E. Jean Carroll verdict;

• 9/16: Merchan to rule on Trump’s motion to vacate the NY criminal trial verdict;

2/

NEW: Tanya Chutkan did not come to play—and even as her case was stayed, she was getting ready. Case in point? Her 16-page decision issued tonight rejecting Trump’s motion to dismiss for selective and vindictive prosecution. 1/ From its first substantive paragraph, the opinion stings, asserting Trump’s “alternative narrative” that the government charged him for “publicly disputing the election outcome” is an “improper reframing” of the indictment belied by its express words. 2/

When I read that Mark Meadows filed a cert petition on his efforts to remove the GA case against him to federal court, I was confused. Hadn’t the 11th Circuit ruled months ago? 1/ Yes—and ordinarily, Meadows’s petition would have been due in late May. But he got two extra months through a request to the circuit justice for the 11th Circuit: Clarence Thomas. 2/