Law and Chaos

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
A proposed class action against McDonalds for passing off the McRib as a sandwich made from pork ribs (it's not) can go forward.
 
The Supreme Court of Arkansas announced that a former employee had altered bar exam results in at least eight test cycles. She's been charged with 65 counts of tampering with an official record.
 
Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Donald Trump, who tore down the East Wing, purported to designate the Oval Office as a national monument, barring future presidents from changing or demolishing it. 
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
Why are so many lawyers leaving the DOJ after the election? So far the departed include: Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Civil Rights Division; Brett Shumate, head of the Civil Division; John Eisenberg, head of the National Security Division; and Jason Reding Quinones, US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
 
Associate Attorney General Stan Woodward shows us the chaos to come after all the normie lawyers head for the exits. In Chicago, he entered his appearance in the Broadview 6 case and proceeded to give Judge April Perry two (figurative) middle fingers — twice in the past two weeks! She's on the cusp of appointing a special master to investigate the government's misconduct in the case. And meanwhile in DC, Judge Ana Reyes has appointed a special master to get to the bottom of the DOJ's lies in the golf course case. 
 
What can Democrats do with control of both Houses? Well, first order of business has to be suing to take back Congress's power of the purse.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS: 
 
The acting US Attorney in the Western District of Washington says his office will not bother to defend ICE/DHS in habeas corpus cases any more. 
 
Le v. McDonalds [McRib class action]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72074554/le-v-mcdonalds-corporation/
 
Joint Statement Regarding State Criminal Charges and Irregularities in the Supreme Court of Arkansas's Office of Professional Programs and the Arkansas Bar Examination
https://arcourts.gov/sites/default/files/2026-11/Joint%20Press%20Release%20%2811-05-2026%29_0.pdf

Establishment of the Oval Office National Monument
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/11/establishment-of-the-oval-office-national-monument/
 
Hegseth Impeachment Articles
https://massie.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hegseth_articles_of_impeachment.pdf
 
DC Preservation League v. Department of Interior [Golf Course]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72278895/dc-preservation-league-v-department-of-interior
 
US v. Rabbit [Broadview 6]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71795281/united-states-v-rabbitt/



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Andrew and Joe dissect the historic 2026 midterms, including what to expect in the outstanding Senate races in Alaska and (shockingly) Mississippi; what it all means; why winning state legislatures and governorships may be as important as winning the House and Senate; and how we can start to forge a new way forward.
 
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DOCKET ALERTS:
 
A magistrate judge in DC dismissed the criminal complaint against Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, two decorated FBI agents who wound up on Trump's hit list for being insufficiently supportive of his lies about Chinese interference in the 2020 election. 
 
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward entered his appearance in the Broadview 6 case and told Judge April Perry that the government would not be complying with any judicial investigations. Judge Perry was not amused. She set a hearing for November 16, ordered US Attorney Andrew Boutros to show up and testify, and invited anyone with relevant information to appear. That would appear to include Douglas DePodesta, the former FBI supervisor in Chicago who just sued Boutros, AG Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel for wrongfully terminating him to make him a scapegoat in this case.
 
Meanwhile in DC, Stan Woodward is coming perilously close to getting held in contempt in the DC golf course case.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Rep. Haley Stevens, for obvious reasons.
 
ELECTION ROUND UP:
 
DOJ loses the trollsuit seeking to segregate ballots in Alaska and enjoin certification if Mary Peltola wins, as Chief Judge Sharon Gleason trashes Woodward's lawyering. (Sensing a pattern here!)
 
Then, we have a comprehensive story about all the ways Donald Trump can't steal the midterms. He's already failed at trying to create a national voter database. He's 0-28 at forcing states to turn over their voter rolls. The ham-fisted efforts by his DOJ to force California to purge alleged noncitizens got dropkicked by a federal district court judge in California, another one in DC, the Ninth Circuit (twice!) and the Supreme Court – all in the span of about 72 hours.
 
We're gonna make it. And don't forget to VOTE!
 
US v. Alaska
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75009254/united-states-v-state-of-alaska/
 
US v. Floris
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75010510/united-states-v-floris
 
US v. Rabbit [Broadview 6]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71795281/united-states-v-rabbitt/
 
DePodesta v. Boutros
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75056492/depodesta-v-boutros/
 
US v. California [District Court]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74967108/united-states-v-state-of-california/?order_by=desc
 
US v. California [9th Circuit]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75037590/united-states-of-america-v-state-of-california-et-al/?order_by=desc
 
US v. California [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26a624.html
 
Trujillo v. DHS [DC challenge to California list]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74737644/trujillo-v-us-department-of-homeland-security/?order_by=desc



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Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is suing Scott Jennings for defamation after the conservative podcaster edited clips to make Piker sound racist.
 
Bill Essayli, who has been holding himself out as the First Assistant US Attorney in the Central District of California and supervising the office, got even more disqualified from serving as US Attorney. 
 
In the lawsuit over Trump's "Memorial Arch," the DOJ submitted affidavits from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pinky-swearing that the structure is critical for national security. Judge Tanya Chutkan said that they had to attend Friday's hearing, like any other sworn declarant. The DOJ says NO FAIR!
 
Meanwhile in Judge Ana Reyes's courtroom, the DOJ is creeping ever closer to getting held in contempt over their prevarication about plans to close the East Potomac Golf Course. 
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: James O'Keefe, the original hidden camera troll, got charged with felony identity theft in Minnesota for impersonating voters at the polls during the August primary.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
The Trump administration is trying to prosecute two former FBI officials who are in Trump's sights for failing to support his lies about Chinese interference in the 2020 election. The charge is lying to Congress, but it may implode before they can even secure an indictment.
 
The DOJ's lawsuit seeking to purge votes in California failed at the Ninth Circuit. Then it went back to the trial court, where Judge David Carter held a hearing and promptly denied the government's motion for a TRO. Now it's heading back to the Ninth Circuit for another drubbing.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
 
What is going on with the DOJ's effort to prevent Alaska from certifying the results of the Senate election if Peltola wins?
 
Piker v. Jennings
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75026995/piker-v-jennings/
 
US v. Tran [Essayli disqualified]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72085974/united-states-v-tran
 
Lemmon v. Trump [Arch]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72301112/lemmon-v-trump/
 
DC Preservation League v. Department of Interior [Golf Course]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72278895/dc-preservation-league-v-department-of-interior
 
US v. Floris
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75010510/united-states-v-floris/
 
US v. California [District Court request to segregate ballots]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74967108/united-states-v-state-of-california/
 
US v. California [9th Circuit appeal]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75037590/united-states-of-america-v-state-of-california-et-al/
 
US v. Alaska [District Court request to not certify Peltola]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75009254/united-states-v-state-of-alaska/?order_by=desc



Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

Congratulations to Maurene Comey, who  won her wrongful termination suit against the DOJ, which fired her last year despite a decade of exemplary performance.
 
US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro proudly announced a criminal complaint against two former FBI officials for lying to Congress. Let's see if she can actually get an indictment from a grand jury.
 
Arizona AG Kris Mayes sued Maricopa County Record Justin Heap and forced him to restore the registrations of 25 citizens wrongly flagged as illegal voters by the SAVE database.
 
HHS got caught submitting fake case cites in a judicial proceeding. Again.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
The government sued California to force it to purge its voter rolls with the election underway. When the trial judge failed to rule within 15 hours, they filed an emergency appeal to the Ninth Circuit. We wrote about Sunday's oral argument. And now the panel has smacked down the government hard.
 
The DOJ is suing to block certification of Alaska's Senate race, but only if Democrat Mary Peltola wins.
 
DOJ is trying to charge James Comey again, this time with leaking classified information ten years ago … outside the statute of limitations.
 
Comey v. DOJ 
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71348216/comey-v-united-states-department-of-justice/
 
US v. Floris 
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75010510/united-states-v-floris
 
Maricopa County recorder restores 25 voters wrongly flagged as noncitizens, ending lawsuit
https://azmirror.com/2026/10/23/maricopa-county-recorder-restores-25-voters-wrongly-flagged-as-noncitizens-ending-lawsuit/
 
Over 80 Percent Of Citations 'Fictitious, Erroneous, or Irrelevant' In Trump Admin Brief
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/10/over-80-percent-of-citations-fictitious-erroneous-or-irrelevant-in-trump-admin-brief/
 
US v. California [9th Circuit appellate docket]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75011344/united-states-of-america-v-state-of-california-et-al/
 
US v. California [CA District court docket]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74967108/united-states-v-state-of-california/
 
Ninth Circuit Bats Around DOJ Lawyer in CA 'Emergency' Vote Purge [lawandchaospod.com]
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/ninth-circuit-bats-around-doj-lawyer
 
US v. Alaska
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75009254/united-states-v-state-of-alaska/
 
US v. Comey
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75009254/united-states-v-state-of-alaska/



Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod