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Category: Law/Crime

How Biden is enabling human rights violations by Israel and obstructing the application of U.S. law

How Biden is enabling human rights violations by Israel and obstructing the application of U.S. law

Vox reports: The recent high-profile killings of three Israeli hostages, two women in a Gaza church, and 11 unarmed Palestinian men in front of their family members have raised new global alarm at Israel’s targeting of civilians amid its war in Gaza. The deaths came as part of its ground assault, and as it continues a bombing campaign that even staunch Israel ally President Joe Biden has called “indiscriminate.” Yet, he continues to push for additional, essentially unconditional aid to Israel — despite the fact that some foreign affairs experts…

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The cruelty and futility of Israel’s starvation blockade on Gaza

The cruelty and futility of Israel’s starvation blockade on Gaza

Alexander B. Downes writes: Immediately after Hamas’s terrorist attack of Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, Israel imposed a “complete siege” on Gaza. “No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed,” as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant put it. For weeks, supplies into Gaza were reduced to a trickle. Although the recent cease-fire increased the number of trucks carrying aid to about 150 per day, that is a drop in the bucket compared to…

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U.S. and Europe eye Russian assets to aid Ukraine as funding dries up

U.S. and Europe eye Russian assets to aid Ukraine as funding dries up

The New York Times reports: The Biden administration is quietly signaling new support for seizing more than $300 billion in Russian central bank assets stashed in Western nations, and has begun urgent discussions with allies about using the funds to aid Ukraine’s war effort at a moment when financial support is waning, according to senior American and European officials. Until recently, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen had argued that without action by Congress, seizing the funds was “not something that…

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What may follow from Colorado Supreme Court’s decision that Trump is not eligible for primary ballot

What may follow from Colorado Supreme Court’s decision that Trump is not eligible for primary ballot

  The Colorado Supreme Court, having agreed that Trump engaged in insurrection, ruled in a 4-3 decision that Trump is disqualified from the presidency. Therefore, he is not eligible to be on the 2024 primary ballot in Colorado. Trump’s lawyers have already stated they plan to appeal the decision. Former federal prosecutor, Harry Litman, outlines the various ways in which the U.S. Supreme Court may rule if it takes up the case.   Discussion between Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin…

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America has a McGonigal problem

America has a McGonigal problem

Mattathias Schwartz writes: The case of Charles McGonigal is bigger than one corrupt FBI agent. In fact, it’s bigger than the entire FBI. The legal case against Charles McGonigal, the FBI’s former New York counterintelligence chief — a scandal that launched a thousand conspiracy theories — is beginning to wind down. Last week, a judge in the Southern District of New York sentenced McGonigal to 50 months in prison; a second judge in Washington, DC, is expected to sentence McGonigal…

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Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off the state’s 2024 primary ballot for violating the U.S. Constitution

Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off the state’s 2024 primary ballot for violating the U.S. Constitution

NBC News reports: In a bombshell decision, Colorado’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that former President Donald Trump’s candidacy in the state’s primary next year is prohibited on constitutional grounds. The first-of-its kind ruling stems from a lawsuit that focused a little-known provision in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Similar challenges in other states have proven unsuccessful. “A majority of the court holds that President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of President under Section Three of…

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Clarence Thomas’ money problems and his wealthy benefactors

Clarence Thomas’ money problems and his wealthy benefactors

ProPublica reports: In early January 2000, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was at a five-star beach resort in Sea Island, Georgia, hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. After almost a decade on the court, Thomas had grown frustrated with his financial situation, according to friends. He had recently started raising his young grandnephew, and Thomas’ wife was soliciting advice on how to handle the new expenses. The month before, the justice had borrowed $267,000 from a friend to buy…

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U.S. has collected intel that could be used to judge the legality of Israel’s conduct of war

U.S. has collected intel that could be used to judge the legality of Israel’s conduct of war

Politico reports: While American officials say they are not making judgments in real-time about whether Israel is abiding by the laws of war, the U.S. has gathered intelligence that might allow it to make such assessments. The U.S. has collected intelligence and formulated detailed assessments related to both Israel and Hamas military movements and tactics in Gaza since the war began in October, according to two people familiar with the intelligence. That has included data on targeting by both sides,…

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The history behind Jack Smith’s Trump-Supreme Court gambit

The history behind Jack Smith’s Trump-Supreme Court gambit

Aaron Blake writes: The question of Donald Trump’s criminal jeopardy could be headed to the Supreme Court sooner rather than later. That’s after special counsel Jack Smith on Monday requested that the court conduct an expedited review of Trump’s claims to “absolute” immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct in office. The court quickly signaled it will consider the petition and asked Trump’s team to respond by next week. One way to read that request is that Smith felt this issue…

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Jack Smith goes straight to Supreme Court for ruling on Trump’s claimed immunity

Jack Smith goes straight to Supreme Court for ruling on Trump’s claimed immunity

  The Daily Beast reports: Special prosecutor Jack Smith filed a bombshell motion Monday asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on the question of whether Donald Trump has absolute presidential immunity for crimes he’s accused of carrying out while in the White House. If accepted, it will be the first time the high court will weigh in on a criminal case involving the former president—specifically, whether his attempts to overturn the 2020 election were protected by presidential immunity, something…

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The Texas abortion case blows up the abortion ban rationale

The Texas abortion case blows up the abortion ban rationale

Jennifer Rubin writes: Abortion rights activists, medical professionals and ordinary women warned the Supreme Court in advance of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision: Legislatures cannot dictate medical decisions without creating horrendous injustices and medical travesties. A recent case from Texas, which has a ban on abortions after six weeks, leaves no doubt about the merits of that argument. The Texas case undermines the rationale for abortion bans and adds to Republicans’ political liability on an issue uppermost…

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Jack Smith reveals sweeping scope of bid to debunk Trump election machine claims

Jack Smith reveals sweeping scope of bid to debunk Trump election machine claims

Politico reports: Special counsel Jack Smith on Saturday sharply rejected Donald Trump’s contention that foreign governments may have changed votes in the 2020 election, laying bare new details about his team’s extensive probe of the matter and its access to a vast array of senior intelligence officials in Trump’s administration. In a 45-page filing, Smith’s team describes interviewing more than a dozen of the top intelligence officials in Trump’s administration — from his director of national intelligence to the administrator…

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What Jack Smith says

What Jack Smith says

Joyce Vance writes: Jack Smith has filed his 404(b) notice, advising the Court and Trump of other crimes and bad acts committed by Trump that he intends to offer as evidence when the D.C. election interference case goes to trial. The notice is nine pages long, you can read the whole thing here. It contains a tremendous amount of new information about the case Smith intends to make against Trump. This is the best window we’ve had in on his…

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‘Test case’ for America: Colorado’s top court poised to weigh Trump’s eligibility to run again

‘Test case’ for America: Colorado’s top court poised to weigh Trump’s eligibility to run again

Politico reports: The most potent effort to disqualify Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot lands Wednesday in the lap of Colorado’s highest court — and a ruling there could send the case hurtling toward the U.S. Supreme Court just as the election year arrives. The Colorado case is one of dozens around the country that have challenged Trump’s eligibility to return to the presidency. The cases argue that he is disqualified under section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states…

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Wisconsin Trump electors settle lawsuit, agree Biden won in 2020

Wisconsin Trump electors settle lawsuit, agree Biden won in 2020

The Washington Post reports: In a legal settlement Wednesday, the 10 Republicans who signed official-looking paperwork falsely purporting Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2020 have agreed to withdraw their inaccurate filings, acknowledge Joe Biden won the presidency and not serve as presidential electors in 2024 or in any election where Trump is on the ballot. Wednesday’s civil settlement marks the first time pro-Trump electors have agreed to revoke their false filings and not repeat their actions in the next presidential…

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Trump was determined to stay in power ‘at any cost,’ say prosecutors; Mike Johnson protects the insurrectionists

Trump was determined to stay in power ‘at any cost,’ say prosecutors; Mike Johnson protects the insurrectionists

AFP reports: Federal prosecutors unveiled plans on Tuesday to introduce evidence at Donald Trump’s trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election that shows he was determined to “remain in power at any cost.” Special counsel Jack Smith’s office, in a court filing, said the former US president had a history of “sowing mistrust” in election results and had repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. “The Government will offer…

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