My latest on Sidebars: Trump sees the criminal justice system as a tool to use to punish his enemies and protect his friends - and he’s escalating. It’s right out of the authoritarian playbook, and it’s scary stuff. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/trump-esca...

Always a pleasure to speak with @thebradblog.bsky.social

There is only one way to resolve this. RELEASE THE HOMAN TAPES!!!

"In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the agents — who were posing as business executives — win government contracts in a second Trump administration..."

The Subway sandwich guy will now be charged with a misdemeanor after a grand jury refused to indict him for felony assault. In a number of cases grand juries, as the voice of the community, are standing up to the excesses of Trump's DOJ. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-grand-...

My latest on Sidebars: critics claim the grand jury is just a rubber stamp. But imagine if Trump’s DOJ could pursue felony charges based solely on his grievances. Right now the grand jury is acting as one of the key checks on abuses of power by Trump’s DOJ. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-grand-...

I hope those who traditionally claim the grand jury is merely a rubber stamp for prosecutors and serves no real purpose as a shield against government abuse are taking note. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/u...

This DOJ has not earned any trust. But we should be careful about assuming that b/c Bolton is a Trump critic, the search must be wrongful. That's what Trump does: if it's an act against me, by definition it is illegitimate. A judge found PC and signed the search warrant. Let's see the evidence.

Amateur hour continues. www.npr.org/2025/08/16/n...

Law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration: storm the Capitol and actually injure law enforcement officers on Trump's behalf and you'll get a pardon. Throw a sandwich at an officer involved in Trump's DC police takeover and you'll be charged with a felony. wapo.st/4oBVWFB

There is still a pending contempt of court proceeding before Judge Boasberg in D.C., temporarily paused by the D.C. Circuit, involving the planes of immigrants sent to prison in El Salvador. When that finally resumes, new 3d Circuit judge Emil Bove may well find himself held in contempt.

I wish I could say I was surprised. But the Senate that confirmed Hegseth and Kennedy and Noem was never going to grow a spine when it came to Bove.

A third whistleblower has now come forward, alleging that Bove misled the Senate during his nomination hearing. This guy doesn't belong anywhere near the federal bench. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-bove-n...

My latest on Sidebars: the false allegations against Obama are a transparent attempt to distract attention from the Epstein files. But despite how frivolous they are, they also represent something more dangerous. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-treaso...

A third whistleblower has come forward against the Bove nomination. wapo.st/45asNIS

No surprise. This was not a serious effort and there are no legal grounds to release the GJ material. This was just a way for the administration to claim it is trying to be transparent and then blame the judge. Most of the relevant files would not be GJ material or protected by GJ secrecy.

This is just an attempted dodge. 1) There is no legal basis to release GJ material, so a judge will likely deny it and then they can blame the judge. 2) The vast majority of the investigative file and information would not be grand jury testimony or subject to grand jury secrecy. wapo.st/4f6CHjd

Emil Bove's nomination to the Third Circuit has advanced to the full Senate. The Senate must reject it. Someone with such disdain for the rule of law has no business being a federal judge. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-bove-n...

If you are worried about information in the Epstein files coming out, it's a very strange/stupid move to anger the one person who probably knows more about what's in those files than almost anyone else. Seems unlikely that whoever is responsible really thought this through . . . .

BREAKING: New footage from control room at New York prison explains the three-minute gap in the surveillance video of Epstein's cell.

If Bove is confirmed to the Third Circuit, there's a very real chance that the Circuit's newest judge will also be a defendant in a contempt of court proceeding in D.C. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-bove-n...

My latest on Sidebars: Bove allegedly said DOJ might just say "f*ck you" to the court if ordered not to deport immigrants. When asked if that's true, he said he doesn't recall. If you are a senior DOJ official, whether you said that is something you'd remember. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-bove-n...

My latest on Sidebars: through his actions at DOJ, Emil Bove has clearly shown that he has no business being on the federal bench. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-bove-n...

Bove doesn't belong anywhere near the federal bench. But if you assume the Senate will roll over and confirm anyone Trump appoints, the truth is he can do a lot less damage as a single appellate judge (who will usually be part of a panel of 3) than he could in a senior DOJ policy position.

It only took a tragedy hitting a red state for the administration to change its tune about the value of FEMA. But the other tragedy is that if this had happened in California or New York rather than Texas, nothing would change. wapo.st/40bJaDg

Big story: NYT interviews Reuveni. “[Reuveni] said he was willing to testify to Congress or in court about what he described as an intentional effort by the administration to ignore judges and the due process rights of hundreds of migrants” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...

Trump is now using tariffs not to further any purported economic policy -- however misguided -- but to try to influence the criminal justice system of another country.

Things like the Paramount settlement and Qatari jet have a bribe-y feel to them, but are unlikely to lead to actual criminal charges. www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Good report on how the Trump administration has gutted the Public Integrity Section and implemented the true weaponization of the Justice Department. www.reuters.com/investigatio...

I trust there will be no shortage of excellent defense attorneys willing to represent Abrego Garcia pro bono. Getting an indictment is easy. We'll see how the case (which prompted the criminal chief in the U.S. Attorney's Office to resign) holds up at trial.

Man, what encapsulates the moment better than the guy ignorantly slashing important government spending turning himself into the victim when people complain.

Gee, so it turns out the federal government is big and complicated and you can’t just breeze in with Big Balls and a bunch of other 20-something tech bros and overhaul everything in a few weeks? Who would have predicted that? wapo.st/4kCLcUz

See, it's not really a bribe-y thing. It's more of an extortion-y thing. www.cnn.com/2025/05/19/p...

It's going to drive Trump and MAGA particularly crazy that all three of his appointees to the Court joined in this opinion slapping him down.

Plane Corruption and the Future of the DOJ: Today's #BradCast Guest: @rdeliason.bsky.social, former Chief of DOJ's Public Corruption section; Also: Good election and Trump Admin accountability news... FULL STORY, LISTEN: bradblog.com?p=15391

My latest on Sidebars: Is it a bribe? Probably not. An unconstitutional emolument? Probably yes. Regardless, it's clearly corrupt, as are Trump's increasing financial entanglements with foreign nations. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/emoluments...

This is such a deeply unserious administration.

The new Pope is the total opposite of Donald Trump. Pope Leo is a decent, moral man, defender of social justice and fluent in English.

OH FFS

I'm very relieved for my old office, and for the justice system in general. This was a terrible nomination. Martin already managed to do a great deal of damage in only a few months as the acting US attorney. He had no business being in that position. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/break...

This is good news and hopefully it sticks. This guy doesn't belong anywhere near a U.S. Attorney's Office. wapo.st/4iOtZGE

“Stop the Steal” supporter, Ed Martin, was in the mob outside of the Capitol on 1/6. If he doesn’t like your point of view, he threatens to investigate you. He praises white supremacists who support neo-Nazi ideologies. Tell your Senator to vote NO on Ed Martin’s nomination for US Attorney in DC.

I'm looking forward to being part of this panel discussion on May 14 sponsored by @newrepublic.com. If you are in the D.C. area join us in person, or you can livestream. www.atlasarts.org/events/tnr/

Breaking: Trump announces plans to use federal funds to refurbish a potential Bay area retirement home for himself. Honestly, you can’t beat the views. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Yes, let’s blame Garland, the AG who indicted Trump twice, for Trump’s re-election. Because if Garland had only managed to overcome SCOTUS and J. Cannon and obtain a conviction before November, that would have made all the difference. No way the voters would elect a convicted felon.

Mike Waltz has left the chat.

Can’t believe this guy is still blaming the principled Democratic AG who indicted Trump twice for Trump’s return, rather than blaming SCOTUS, J. Cannon, Mitch McConnell and other Republicans — and the voters who elected him.

That, and trying to intimidate other judges.

My latest on Sidebars: a review of the George Santos case - the lies, criminal charges, guilty plea and sentencing. Is the former Republican Congressman next in line for a Trump pardon? www.sidebarsblog.com/p/george-san...

NEW: Read the resignation letter of three federal prosecutors who'd worked on the Eric Adams case: "Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington." static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics...