Law and Chaos

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
Todd Blanche advanced out of the Judiciary Committee and faces a vote by the full Senate on whether to confirm him as Attorney General. Will Republicans defy—JK,LOL.
 
Journalist Katie Phang's lawsuit against Blanche for failing to disclose all documents required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act hit a snag when the government just plum forgot to file an answer to her complaint. The DOJ also failed to provide unredacted documents to Judge Emmet Sullivan for review in chambers. Judge Sullivan ordered Blanche to personally appear in court on August. 13.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Third Circuit Judge Jennifer Mascott, who spent the first six months of her judicial tenure moonlighting as the head of a PR firm which solicited MAGA clients.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
Trump's multitudinous trollsuits do much better in front of his own appointees than in front of normal judges. Judge Roy Altman has utterly beclowned himself in Trump's lawsuits against Capital One and the BBC. But his cases against the Wall Street Journal, JP Morgan, and the New York Times faced a much cooler reception.
 
Charges against the Broadview 6 for "conspiracy" to protest were dropped months ago. But the case goes on, as the former defendants ask Judge April Perry to appoint a special counsel to investigate and potentially prosecute the US Attorneys Office in Chicago for contempt of Court. Prosecutors counter that any investigation can be handled by the DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility, which has been conveniently neutered under Trump.
 
And we're back on our Buc-ee's BS — can't get enough of those beaver nuggets! Has the convenience-store-on-steroids chain gone too far with its lawsuits against every animal mascot on earth? One plucky teddy bear is fighting back.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
 
Can John Oliver sell parody Buc-ee's merch? We consult a talking squirrel and the greatest amicus brief of all time!
 
LINKS: 
 
Phang v. Blanche 
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73246595/phang-v-blanche/
 
US v. Rabbitt [Broadview 6]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71795281/united-states-v-rabbitt
 
At Trump's DOJ, watchdogs gutted as misconduct complaints soar
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-doj-watchdogs-gutted-misconduct-complaints-soar-2026-08-06/
 
'Is she even allowed to be doing this?': Inside a federal judge's side gig running a PR firm
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/06/jennifer-mascott-federal-judge-adfero-pr-firm-01025871
 
Buc-ee's v. Teddy's Market [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73290962/buc-ees-ltd-v-teddys-market-llc/
 
THE GREATEST AMICUS BRIEF OF ALL TIME
https://www.acluwv.org/app/uploads/2017/08/2017-08-17-Amended-Amicus-28File-Stamped29.pdf



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Andrew is flying solo today. He's got three stories about the petty incompetence of this administration. First, we start off with the likely impending confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General after the DOJ finally put in writing that the $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization" slush fund is dead. The Trump tax giveaway is still alive, though, and that means so is Judge Williams's investigation as to whether the President committed a fraud on the court.
 
Next, we delve into the unraveling of DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's ham-handed efforts to try and indict a former Olympian for vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in Washington. Turns out, the problem was the contractor all along. Who knew? (We all knew, including Pirro.)
 
Finally, we take a look at a trio of motions filed by James Comey in his criminal case, all of which involve the central claim that the mafia uses the term "86" to mean "kill." Turns out, Comey secured an affidavit from the world's foremost expert on mafia code words, and he thinks that argument is "preposterous." How do all of these fundamental mistakes keep making their way into criminal indictments? Comey is the latest defendant who thinks prosecutors may not have been entirely candid with grand juries.



Trump v. IRS [SDFL Docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72207870/trump-v-internal-revenue-service/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=asc
 
US v. Comey [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73256624/united-states-v-comey/?order_by=desc
 
John Gleeson affidavit
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nced.227449/gov.uscourts.nced.227449.40.3.pdf



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It's our semiquincentennial! And we're celebrating with a long-form interview with Zach Everson, research director of the Trump Accountability Project. Zach joins us to discuss how cryptocurrency powered Donald Trump's massively successful grift of billions of dollars, and what we can do about it. Along the way, we also discuss the proposed CLARITY ACT, and how the fake ethics provisions added by Republicans were so bad that the bill itself is likely to die on the vine.
 
Thank you for being with us for 250 episodes!



CLARITY ACT- HR 3633
https://www.lummis.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Clarity-Act.pdf



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DOCKET ALERTS:
 
The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger is on hold well into next year. The parties stipulated that the merger would not go through pending trial in the antitrust case brought by twelve state AGs, despite massive financial penalties for Paramount if the deal is delayed. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America has filed a similar antitrust action, which has also been assigned to Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín.
 
Trump's newest tariff scheme, based on findings of anticompetitive use of forced labor by our trade competitors, drew multiple legal challenges. Learning Resources v. US, Take 3! 
 
Fired US Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Roger Rogoff, is suing to get his job back.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
In March, Trump put out an executive order instructing DHS to compile a list of voters. The states would then be forced to submit all mail-in ballot recipients to a portal and supply each with an individual bar code. The Post Office was instructed to refuse to deliver ballots to anyone not on the list. That order is now being litigated in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, the DC Circuit, the US District for Massachusetts, the First Circuit and, as of today, the Supreme Court.
 
James Comey has moved to dismiss the two-count federal indictment against him for posting an instagram photo of seashells that spelled out "8647." We discuss the "true threat" doctrine and the administration's larger war on freedom of speech when it comes to his critics and journalists.
 
Speaking of which, in the subscriber bonus, we discuss the case of Atlanta "Stop Cop City" protester Sam Tunick, who was charged with destroying evidence when he tricked CBP agents into bricking his phone.



California v. Paramount-Skydance
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73606877/the-state-of-california-v-paramount-skydance-corporation/
 
Writers Guild of America, West, Inc. v. Paramount Skydance Corporation
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73614167/writers-guild-of-america-west-inc-v-paramount-skydance-corporation/
 
Fact Sheet: USTR Section 301 Action in Response to the Failure of 60 Economies to Ban Imports Produced with Forced Labor
https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2026/july/fact-sheet-ustr-section-301-action-response-failure-60-economies-ban-imports-produced-forced-labor
 
Learning Resources v. US [Section 301 tariffs]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73668290/learning-resources-inc-v-the-united-states-of-america/
 
Burlap and Barrel v. Greer [Section 301 tariffs]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73667352/burlap-and-barrel-inc-v-greer-in-his-official-capacity-as-united-states/
 
Rogoff v. Trump
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73647676/rogoff-v-trump
 
California v. Trump [Mail-in ballots, First Circuit]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73568304/state-of-california-v-trump/?order_by=desc
 
League of Women Voters v. Trump [Mail-in ballots, D. Mass.]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump
 
NAACP v. US [Mail-in ballots, D.D.C.]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17461792/national-association-for-the-advancement-of-colored-people-v-united-states
 
NAACP v. USPS [Mail-in ballots, DC Circuit]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73595574/naacp-v-usps/
 
Trump v. California [Mail-in ballots, SCOTUS]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.aspx?FileName=/docket/docketfiles/html/public\26a124.html
 
US v. Comey [North Carolina criminal indictment for 8647; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73256624/united-states-v-comey/?order_by=desc
 
US v. Tunick [Georgia criminal indictment for bricked phone; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71998357/united-states-v-tunick/



Show Links:
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BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
After SecDef Hegseth ordered testosterone testing for all troops over 30 and offered hormone replacement therapy to all, Judge Ana Reyes ordered the government to explain how this is different from the healthcare for trans men which they just banned. 
 
On Tuesday, a judge in Florida ordered Trump to turn over his financial records to the BBC in his defamation trollsuit. Turns out, when you say you've been damaged to the tune of a $10 billion, they make you show your work!
 
Every House Democrat signed a discharge petition to force a floor vote on Rep. Jamie Raskin's No Corrupt Agreements Requiring Taxpayer Expenditures Benefitting Lawbreakers and Assorted Non-Prosecution Covenants, Handouts, and Emoluments Act, AKA the NO CARTE BLANCHE Act.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
After his first two attempts to steal Congress's tariff power were blocked in the courts, Trump has now reached back 90 years for the next tool. Sure the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act massively deepened and extended the Great Depression. But Trump is really mad at Canada, so maybe this time it won't massively backfire?
 
Meanwhile, the US Trade Representative announced a new wave of tariffs on 86 countries — putatively to retaliate against countries that sell or import goods created using child labor. Inflation is fun!
 
Nintendo is being sued by customers who bought Switch devices during the first round of illegal tariffs. They figure if the company is getting a refund from the government, they ought to get a refund from the company.
 
The FBI subpoenaed five New York Times journalists over reporting on the president's Qatari bribe jet. Claiming a national security emergency, the DOJ seized their phone records and demanded that they testify before a grand jury. This required prosecutors to disregard binding Second Circuit precedent and the DOJ's own published regulations — but Acting AG Todd Blanche said it was cool. At a hearing on Thursday over the motion to quash, Judge Arun Subramanian told the government to withdraw the subpoenas or he'd quash them. Eventually the DOJ agreed to withdraw, but now the court wants to know how the Justice Department came to tell so many whoppers to him, the magistrate, and opposing counsel.
 
Talbott v. Trump [Trans service members]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69583866/talbott-v-trump
 
Judge says Trump must hand over financial records to BBC
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/21/trum-bbc-lawsuit-finances
 
Trump v. BBC
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation/
 
Raskin HR 7007 [No CARTE BLANCHE Act]
https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/hr7007_ans.pdf
 
Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on President Trump Imposing Section 338 Tariffs on Canada
https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/july/ambassador-greer-issues-statement-president-trump-imposing-section-338-tariffs-canada
 
Hoffert v. Nintendo [seeking consumer recovery of tariff refunds; docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.wawd.361585/
 
Nintendo v. USA [seeking corporate IEEPA tariff refund; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72373888/nintendo-of-america-inc-v-united-states-of-america/
 
CIT Rule 25-02
https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/files/Administrative%20Order%2025-02.pdf
 
CIT Rule 26-01 (July 13, 2026)
https://www.cit.uscourts.gov/sites/cit/files/Administrative%20Order%2026-01.pdf
 
In re Grand Jury Subpoenas Dated July 10, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73641399/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenas-dated-july-10-2026/
 
Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
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Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod