Now Available: Principles of the Law, Government Ethics. Professor Richard Briffault and I thank the ALI and all involved with our work on this project. As federal government ethics implode, state and local governments should take the high road and raise the bar. www.ali.org/news/article...

An air force base for Qatar in Idaho? Is this what the United States is doing in return for the "free" 747 they want to make into a Qatari Air Force One? www.thedailybeast.com/pete-hegseth...

Here @normeisen.bsky.social, former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic, and son of a Holocaust survivor, weighs in on what is quickly becoming yet another antisemitism scandal at U. Minnesota as extremists here promote a researcher who made a baseless claim defaming a concentration camp prisoner.

As someone who has written about the Holocaust, it makes no sense at all to suggest an "affair" between an SS guard & an inmate The circumstances make that impossible--plus here the family of the prisoner denies any such relationship occurred www.theguardian.com/education/20...

First Amendment rights are in grave danger in our universities, on the airwaves and on social media. We must take a stand. This is how Minnesota's law dean responded when he was told about the false rumor that the University of Minnesota intervened about my social media posts. x.com/RWPUSA/statu...

NEW 🧵The White House has now issued its first formal legal justification for the lethal attack on a vessel in the Caribbean. This War Powers report to Congress is long on bluster and short on substance. This letter does not adequately justify the premeditated killing of apparent civilians. 1/n

Happy Birthday to Peter Golenbock. Although he is best known for his writing about baseball, he clearly understands Trump and his phenomenon.

A lot of people's presidential war powers arguments appear to be based on personal views about the underlying conflict (Israel vs. Iran) as opposed to the Constitution. How many people who support military action now would do so if Trump were to attack China, Russia or some other country?

I strongly disagree with this. Only Congress can declare war under the Constitution. This op-ed makes the "everyone does it" argument for military action without consent of Congress. What next? An attack on China to protect Taiwan? Congress must consent. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

We'll have academic freedom at U. Minnesota when a music professor has as much right to criticize musicians who collaborated with Hitler as professors elsewhere in the University have to criticize the United States and Israel. Our AAUP chapter supports propaganda not academic freedom.

This isn't just about Israel. As I testified before the Minnesota Senate, revisionist history of the Nazi era is on the upswing. A tenured music professor was threatened with discipline after she criticized Hitler's favorite Berlin Philharmonic conductor. www.lrl.mn.gov/archive/minu...

More on the politicization of the AAUP from Tom Ginsburg, a left leaning professor at U. Chicago. Even he has had too much. AAUP leaders do not stand for academic freedom (unless you agree with them). www.chronicle.com/article/can-...

AAUP is an extremist organization and has no credibility in this fight. At U. Minnesota, an AAUP chapter leader secretly tried to get a tenured professor fired or retired for reporting sexual harassment and disagreeing with colleagues on Title VI. National AAUP leaders say they don't care.

When the federal government is accusing universities of violating free speech, false accusations must be exposed. No administrator at U. Minnesota has ever intervened to influence my public statements or suggested that any of my social media posts violate a policy.

This post by Brian Leiter is a lie. No U of M administrator has "intervened" about my social media posts. Nobody here questioned my honesty although some (left and right) disagree with my politics. This accusation of censorship by our University is false. leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2024/...

Won't help when you also attack the Anti-Defamation League, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in America. Your leaders write secret letters to CLA deans trying to get tenured professors transferred or forced into retirement for disagreeing with colleagues. This AAUP chapter is a disgrace.

I am pleased to join Deborah Pearlstein, Suzanne Nossel, Sidney Blumenthal and Sean Wilentz for this webinar Freedom from Fear: The Assault on the Rule of Law April 10, 2025 from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. EST RSVP here: buttondown.com/courtofhisto...

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. Billionaire self dealing is a threat to a free press and a free market, as I explain here: When Billionaire Government Contractors Are Also Media Moguls washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/07/w...

You attack the Anti-Defamation League, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in America. Your leaders write secret letters to CLA deans trying to get tenured professors transferred or forced into retirement for disagreeing with colleagues. This AAUP chapter is a disgrace.

Who chooses the Wisconsin Supreme Court? Wisconsin voters or Elon Musk? As I say here, a "lottery" for people who vote is paying people to vote, and that's illegal in Wisconsin. apnews.com/article/wisc...

I and others urged appointment of a special counsel in January 2021. DOJ refused. President Biden has always disliked special prosecutors, probably because of his own legal problems, and Hunter's. Jack Smith was appointed too late and ran out of time. apnews.com/article/trum...

Fighting authoritarianism and self dealing in government is a bipartisan effort. I’m proud to be a part of this team. Jen Rubin exits Washington Post, joins Norm Eisen to launch new outlet countering ‘authoritarian threat. edition.cnn.com/2025/01/13/m...

As I told the Washington Post here: "They’re arguing they won’t have new transactions with foreign governments but that’s not the standard. The standard is that once he’s president he can’t receive any profits or benefits from foreign governments.” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

As I told Eric Lipton at the NYT here, this does not work. “If the president receives any profits or benefits from foreign governments — not just new deals — then he is in violation of the Constitution. The money flow has to stop on Jan. 20.” www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/u...

You get elected president. Get sentenced to "unconditional discharge" at today's hearing and then proceed directly to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Every other player loses the game. www.google.com/imgres?imgur...

Silicon Valley business leaders have long sought to influence Washington through both political parties. Now some may think they own it. www.msn.com/en-us/news/p...

Today, January 6, 2025, Vice President Harris presided over a peaceful transition of power, an American tradition dating back to the certification of Thomas Jefferson's defeat of President John Adams in 1800. The events of January 6, 2021 must never be repeated. abcnews.go.com/Politics/con...

Fifty years ago the Washington Post helped bring down President Richard Nixon. Today, the publishers would be kissing his rear end. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/b...

The presidential inauguration committee (PIC) for decades has been a massive corporate influence machine regardless of who the president is. 47 will set a record for dollars raised. www.wsj.com/business/tru...

Before Trump pardons the January 6 rioters, he should remember that some crazies wanted to overthrow him, including one wacko who suggested a military coup. The difference is that not a single Democrat in Congress would support such a thing, then or now. jonathanturley.org/2020/06/09/c...

As I said here, this is a load of bull. Conflict of interest rules apply to rich people just like everybody else. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...

Chris Sununu's Hot Take On Elon Musk And Donald Trump Stuns Critics: 'Bull' ca.news.yahoo.com/chris-sununu...

The most ethical president in over 100 years. R.I.P. Jimmy Carter. www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...

Brilliant @rwpusa.bsky.social essay on how to whip SCOTUS decayed ethics into shape PS please give Richard a follow—you will be glad you did!

My response to the Chief Justice and his colleagues is here. Enough is enough. SCOTUS House: Can a Supreme Court Ethics Lawyer and Inspector General Help Get this Fraternity under Control?, By Richard W. Painter. www.law.georgetown.edu/legal-ethics...

Government by billionaires or government by the people? It's time to take a side. Where we go from here by @lessig.bsky.social lessig.medium.com/where-we-go-...

American has "too many Asians"? Penn must have been desperate to hire law professors when they hired this woman. But can we at least keep people like this out of the White House? Immigrants make America great. Bigots don't. www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-a...

Deplorables? www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/nat...

Grab the popcorn. It's show time! www.kron4.com/news/bay-are...

I have joined government ethics experts Virginia Canter and Gabe Lezra in this op-ed urging full disclosure of conflicts of interest affecting the work of DOGE . Opinion | Why we 'Democracy Defenders' are demanding information about DOGE www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Research fraud is pervasive in academia. Fake data, plagiarism, lying on federal grant applications, secret foreign funding, etc. it's a culture of noncompliance. Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia? freakonomics.com/podcast/why-...

Bankman-Fried and his associates want a pardon or commutation in return for campaign contributions they stole from FTX investors, and for keeping silent about the politicians who accepted the money. Any president who agrees to this should be impeached for bribery. thecryptobasic.com/2024/12/25/e...

I've been warning about this plot for over a year. Co-conspirators are trying to buy a pardon for SBF_FTX in return for the massive FTX campaign contributions. Elon Musk Reacts to Talks of SBF Receiving Presidential Pardon. thecryptobasic.com/2024/12/23/e...

Affirmative action for minorities is illegal. SFA v. Harvard, 600 US 181 (2023). Affirmative action for the wealthy is pervasive. Affirmative action for the wealthy in Congress is a constitutional right. Citizens United v. FEC, 558 US 310 (2010). Why? Ask Justice Harlan Crow.

Apparently Penn is a nonprofit organization. Really? Penn paid Amy Gutmann $23 million in final year as president, including 18-year compensation package. www.thedp.com/article/2023...

"Affirmative action" for the rich. The Trump and Biden families. among others, send their offspring to Penn, for decades a landing spot for children of the wealthy (some qualified and some not). The last Penn president got a $23 million payout. whyy.org/articles/eli...

Judge Merchan got this right. The case was about personal capacity acts, not official acts. It's very likely not a jail time offense anyway. Sentencing will be postponed while Donald Trump serves his second term as President. apnews.com/article/trum...

Here we go. Again. What's changed since Sandy Hook? Not much. The N.R.A. Protection Racket www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/o...

If you think healthcare is inequitable, try getting a lawyer. A few like him can afford $1000+ an hour, others spend their life savings on a lawyer, and others get the pubic defender. UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect hires top Manhattan lawyer komonews.com/news/nation-...