Christine Farley

“In a few weeks’ time—when we turn to our regular docket—we will decide cases of far less import with far more process and reflection.” If I have reason to refer to any case this term I will introduce it with this quote from Kagan’s dissent in yesterday’s emergency stay in DOS v. AIDS Vaccine

bit of good news to report: Pam Bondi's brother lost the election to be President of the DC Bar in a landslide. Brad Bondi got only 3,490 votes (who are these people?) while Diane Seltzer (@whatajlp.bsky.social) earned 34,982 votes! Congratulations Diane!

DeLauro uses her opening statement to tear Russ Vought a new one

Lee: Would say it would be “illegal DEI” for a lesson plan on the Tulsa race massacre?

McMahon: I’d have to get back to you

Lee: Do you know what the Tulsa race massacre is?

McMahon: I’d like to look into it more and get back to you on it.

President Trump’s just-released budget would eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corporation, putting at risk essential legal protections for veterans, seniors and children across the country.

Learn what’s at stake and how you can help protect access to justice: www.lsc.gov/act #LSCMatters

BREAKING: Texas Republicans just passed a major book banning bill.

They say it’s about protecting kids from “filth.”

But when I questioned the bill author, he admitted that it could ban classics like Romeo and Juliet, Catcher in the Rye, and Lonesome Dove.

Phone companies failed to warn senators about surveillance, Wyden says Government surveillance of lawmakers, though legal, raises concerns that members of Congress cannot effectively legislate when they are being spied on.

The government is surveilling US senators and the phone companies are illegally failing to report it

www.politico.com/live-updates...

Donald Trump’s Politics of Plunder The greed of the new Administration has galvanized America’s aspiring oligarchs—and their opponents.

Around D.C., the new going rate is well-known: $5 million for a one-on-one dinner with Trump, but gov-affairs execs have “no clue where the money is eventually going,” one said. Another told me it’s “outer-borough Mafia sh*t.” My new piece is out @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

After breaking into the US Institute of Peace (USIP) Monday, DOGE members immediately got to work taking down signs to erase the independent agency.

Photos taken yesterday shared directly with me:

walking by the DOJ building in DC

U.S. Justice Department pardon lawyer pledges 'hard look' at plot to kidnap Michigan governor The U.S. Justice Department’s new pardon attorney says he is going to take a “hard look” at two men who are in prison for leading a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.

Trump pardon attorney taking “hard look” at defendants convicted of plotting to kidnap Gov. Whitmer. The effort to rewrite history and normalize political violence continues.
www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

Vote them all out

The Hungarian government is about to pass a law that will allow it to destroy the tiny online outlets that represent the last vestiges of independent Hungarian press

444.hu/2025/05/22/v...

Not just student data. DOJ apparently requested any email or text where faculty or staff discussed the Trump DEI EOs -- something that would target lots of pure political speech.

hypo: EO says “soldiers will be quartered in private homes.” Courts uniformly find 3rd Am violation & gov’t never appeals. W/o nationwide injunction any non plaintiff might still get quartered soldiers until everyone sues?

Quote skeet with a picture of the airplane you'll accept as bribe

“turns our justice system into a ‘catch me if you can’ regime”

Three U.S. citizens, ages 2, 4 and 7, swiftly deported from Louisiana The cases have renewed concerns that the Trump administration’s expedited deportations are violating the rights of both citizens and noncitizens.

Three U.S. citizens, ages 2, 4 and 7, swiftly deported from Louisiana www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

U. of Florida Calls Off Dean Search After DeSantis Intervenes A spokesperson said the governor’s office stepped in after a right-wing group posted videos of the finalists on social media and claimed they were “radical progressives with disdain for Florida’s DEI ...

NEW: DeSantis directed the University of Florida to cancel a nearly-complete search for its next dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — because the governor believed the finalists were not in alignment with the state's opposition to DEI

In Alcon Entm't v. Tesla, producers of Blade Runner 2049 sued Musk for copyright & trademark infringement for his AI-generated cybercab promotions. This quote made it into the district court's tentative ruling:

DOGE Visits National Gallery of Art to Discuss Museum’s Legal Status The move is the latest from Elon Musk’s unofficial cost-cutting agency to exert influence beyond traditional federal agencies.

Scoop: DOGE officials met with leadership at the National Gallery of Art this week to discuss the museum's legal status www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

1st: are there no adults in the GA GOP?
2nd: tax payer dollars can pay people to doctor photos for a joke, but not cure cancer?

Everyone needs to understand what Elon and DOGE are building, an AI driven panopticon that will know everything about you and will be used to ensure compliance with their fascist agenda. They are creating a unified database of everything the federal government has on every single American.

🧵1/

lol. Court: and Alito will say what he will say

My story breaking this news exclusively was 7K+ words and had almost all of this in it, and more:
www.npr.org/2025/04/15/n...

According to this memo from DOJ deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, DOJ employees who serve in policy-determining, policymaking, or policy-advocating positions may no longer RENEW their ABA membership: www.justice.gov/dag/media/13...

Attn. DC lawyers:
You can VOTE NOW for DC Bar President
for either:
👍DIANE SELTZER vowing to protect RULE OF LAW, endorsed by Washington Council of Lawyers, Bar Assoc. of DC, & 20+ past DC Bar Presidents, or
👎Brad BONDI brother of PAM BONDI
Log on to my.dcbar.org and click Vote Now

Dear DC Bar lawyers! Please remember to vote in the bar elections. Brad Bondi must be defeated, as well as Alicia Long.

Vote AGAINST both of them!!

lol. why scare quotes around "birdbrains"