13 Comments
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Katharine Hill's avatar

So glad Judge Boasberg is hanging tough. He is a super hero in the fight to save democracy.

David J. Sharp's avatar

Once again: Abject loyalty does not equal … nor come even close … to basic competence.

Colette Holt's avatar

As always, thank you for your excellent work.

I’ve been a practicing lawyer for over 40 years. The degradation and disintegration of DOJ is a tragedy that will haunt us for years. I’m glad my lawyer father and judge uncle aren’t alive to see this. Especially as Black attorneys, we looked to DOJ as the colleagues we knew upheld the highest standards and the rule of law. Our system has always been fragile. These people have broken it.

David J. Sharp's avatar

Another crime - not pursued by the DoJ, but propagated - the maiming of the English language.

Brian MacKay's avatar

Once the scourge of the Trump administration is over, how long do you think it will take before the government earns back "the presumption of regularity"? Right now, an infinite supply of Dulcolax couldn't get the DoJ "regular" again.

Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

You’d have to pulp our entire 🇨🇦 boreal forest to produce that much fibre, David.

It’s going to take a generation for what we’ve experienced to change back, and frankly I’m not sure I or many here really want to go back to the old ways either.

But in the end, it’ll be about what the American people do in response. And while I hope that simply needs to be getting out & voting, my risk management senses say that may not actually work (ie, a Jan 6 v2 event, this time with the military starting on their side).

Chance favours the well prepared!

Jacobs-Meadway Roberta's avatar

The filings submitted to the courts on behalf of this Administration’s law firm, which is what this DOJ is, exhibit such a level of incompetence, ignorance and mendacity as to be staggering. It is not surprising that experienced lawyers with integrity have been pushed out or have walked out.

Robert Stadler's avatar

Along the same lines, in the recent case challenging the revocation of Somali refugees' TPS status, no DOJ lawyer even filed a notice of appearance.

Teddy Partridge's avatar

I wonder if any of those Hegseth-era papers and regulations would be valid, since they all say DoW, presumably meaning Department of War, which the DoD is not.

fbcooper1's avatar

For the past year, I've publicly promoted DOJ attorneys to resign, lest they're complicit with the destruction of polite society. Many have done so, and this is the expected result. We don't want 'competent' fascism. The courts are the only semi-working bulwark at this point.

Jennifer O'Leary's avatar

I really appreciate your work. But I don’t appreciate thinking that even comparatively that Ashcroft et al weren’t the worst. Every time I think of something that wasn’t quite as awful during W’s admin, it appalls me & is one more grievance to chalk up to Trump.

No One's avatar

Chris, I appreciate your work and am a supporter. And maybe I missed your coverage of the recent 4th Cir. utter disaster and self-reversal for the right of *adult* trans people to receive care, and its sanctioning of State attempts to force trans people to "appreciate their sex" as a legit .gov aim - especially galling for those who have already legally and otherwise changed sex, though not only for them. This is a big deal and I do not think it is getting anything like the coverage it should, and I would have like to see more from you on it. At this point, there literally is no equal protection in the "United" States for trans people as trans people, and I know I am not the only person to see this. But I am not seeing enough reaction to it or pushback even from allies.

My use of Substack is sporadic and imperfect so if you made a post about this already, then please accept my apologies, but also accept my gentle urging that you push hard on the equal protection issues. I also direct your and everyone's attention to a piece on Just Security regarding the harnessing of the Gag Order rule to target any org in any country whatsoever that uses any US money to assist trans people, including refugees. The naked and open hostility to trans people by the current regime is unsubtle, unhidden, and dripping with animus. Are we all expected simply to live this way, and accept it, and listen to silence from allies?

my respect and gratitude for your work, always.

S. Thompson's avatar

Good Read. What can you tell me about the Rutherford case in the Supreme Court right now