Robert J. Spitzer

Opinion | Maurene Comey’s Case Is More Consequential Than Her Father’s

Maurene Comey’s Case Is More Consequential Than Her Father’s www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/o...

Ep. 117. Gun Laws & Originalism | Rockefeller Institute of Government Decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in Heller and Bruen have recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulat...

New episode of Policy Outsider features NYS Assemblymember Charles D. Levine and political science scholar @spitzerb.bsky.social discussing constitutional originalism & legislating firearms in the complex legal environment created by SCOTUS's interpretation of 2A.
rockinst.org/issue-area/e...

I just can’t…

Fascinating discussion with distinguished NYS Assemblyman Lavine:

A leadership vacuum and staff cuts threaten NSA morale, operational strength The signals intelligence giant has halted recruitment for its Legal Honors Program, two people familiar say, slowing inflow of top legal talent. Other long-term capabilities are at risk.

What? Shitting on the non-partisan experts that keep us safe is not working?

www.nextgov.com/people/2025/...

Congratulations to Virginia’s new Governor!

Fascinating discussion with distinguished NYS Assemblyman Lavine:

Ep. 117. Gun Laws & Originalism | Rockefeller Institute of Government Decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in Heller and Bruen have recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulat...

My thanks to @RockefellerInst for the chance to discuss Gun Laws & Constitutional Originalism with the distinguished @CharlesLavineNY: rockinst.org/issue-area/e...

Opinion | How the Supreme Court Paved the Way for Revenge Prosecutions

“The majority extended absolute immunity to a president who orders the Department of Justice to conduct “sham” investigations. In the year since, rather than preventing the weaponization of prosecutions, the court has unleashed it.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/o...

James Comey: Vindictive Prosecution? David Cay Johnston Weighs In David Cay Johnston explains why the judge should not dismiss James Comey’s case—and how it could expose vindictive prosecution by the Trump administration.

Why we should hope the judge doesn't grant former FBI Director James Comey's request to dismiss his indictment as vindictive prosecution explained in 98 seconds in my new RealityCheck for DCReport.
www.dcreport.org/2025/10/23/c...

I see my old tweet is making the rounds on Instagram and Facebook. 😊 If you get a chance, pls watch “Surviving Ohio State” on HBO. You will be outraged that this cretin in in the Congress.

How about “Trump”?

The main point UE advocates neglect is that the Framers emphasized responsibility as the key duty and perpetual obligation of a unitary executive while the ostensible virtues of energy, vigor, dispatch, and secrecy were only advantages of decision-making that would be exercised only occasionally..

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns Era by era, how firearms conquered America

@scholars.org Happy to join with SSN colleague Giraldi as a contributor to this series on guns in the U.S.: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Sadly relevant at this moment: the Trump administration's proposal to strip gun rights from trans people; my take: thehill.com/opinion/civi...

Sadly relevant at this moment: the Trump administration's proposal to strip gun rights from trans people; my take: thehill.com/opinion/civi...

Vital City | Issue 13 The supply side of America's gun problem

Proud to contribute an essay on "A Brief Biography of the Second Amendment" to this amazing collection.

www.vitalcitynyc.org/issues/issue...

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns Era by era, how firearms conquered America

Our country's gun past isn't what most people think: in many respects, guns were more heavily regulated in the nation's first 300 years than in the last 30, and the spread of firearms owes more to marketing than necessity. My piece: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns Era by era, how firearms conquered America

@scholars.org Happy to join with SSN colleague Giraldi as a contributor to this series on guns in the U.S.: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Graphic with a background of blurred candlelight and a lit candle on the right. On the left is a large quote in white text: “A more equitable approach to gun violence policy must reflect the real, everyday nature of this crisis and the communities who endure it.” Below, in italic text: Deanna M. Giraldi, University of Oxford. At the top right, a label reads SSN Policy Brief. A circular photo of Deanna M. Giraldi is shown beside the candle. At the bottom right is the Scholars Strategy Network logo and website URL.

Gun violence affects thousands in the U.S. each year. In this policy brief, @deannagiraldi.bsky.social (@dspi-oxford.bsky.social) shares gaps in research and calls for inclusive, tailored studies and policies that address the real impacts of gun violence.

🔗 Read now: scholars.org/contribution...

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns Era by era, how firearms conquered America

Our country's gun past isn't what most people think: in many respects, guns were more heavily regulated in the nation's first 300 years than in the last 30, and the spread of firearms owes more to marketing than necessity. My piece: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Jennifer and I drove 90 minutes through the Finger Lakes countryside yesterday to meet with 60 fans - from Alaska to Florida - of socially conscious comedian Pete Dominick standupwithpete.com and all I got was a jar of honey - fabulous honey from Slate Hill Edible Forest Farm in Marcellus NY.👍🏼 😅

Well that’s quite the push notification.

Astonishingly, astonishingly bad. I think of all the folks I know who fit these criteria, the families of my kids’ friends who were already worried about crackdowns, the hardworking residents all around my city & county—all now subject to explicit ethnic profiling & forced LEO encounters. Sickening.

Tonight at 7PM I'll speak on How to Save Our Democracy at the Riviera Theatre in Geneseo about 30 minutes south of Rochester.

The Riviera Theatre
4 Center St
Geneseo, NY 14454

Gabbard and White House 'lying' about intel on Russian interference in 2016, ex-CIA official says "We definitely had the intel," Susan Miller, who helped oversee the 2017 intelligence assessment of Russia's efforts in the 2016 election, told NBC News.

“The director of national intelligence and the White House are lying, again.”

www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

Ahhh our casebook is officially published & on the way!!! If you have any interest in teaching (or learning about!) the Second Amendment or firearms law, I hope you'll consider our casebook! Feel free to reach out with any questions about the book or the field!!

www.westacademic.com/Blocher-Char...

This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built The country is witnessing the creation of an all-powerful institution, and one man is responsible.

Don't know if I've ever read a better piece on Unitary executive, presl power run amok in age of Trump: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Trump is making it easier than ever for criminals to get guns Central to the Trump administration’s deregulation of gun access is its evisceration of the federal agency charged with administering the nation’s gun laws, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms…

In this op-ed, @spitzerb.bsky.social explains how Trump is dismantling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, rolling back ghost gun regulations, and ultimately making it easier for criminals to get guns. #GunPolicy

@thehill.com:

As I note the ATF has been barred from computerizing its records since the 1980s; the building holding the paper records nearly collapsed a few years ago. Make any sense? Read on…