Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That’s true for a traffic stop, and it’s true if you want to participate in whatever’s left of American democracy. If the eve...
Donald Trump got bored during the Super Bowl, and now apparently pennies are illegal. Also, as everything Trump torches the entire executive branch, trial judges aim their garden hoses at the flames to save what they can. Today we’ll talk about as many cases as we can cram into an hour. Come for the DOGE take over of Treasury, stay for the Project 2025 shutdown of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Links: ABA STATEMENT on the Rule of Law https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2025/02/aba-supports-the-rule-of-law/ When You’ve Lost Clarence Thomas https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/when-youve-lost-clarence-thomas New York v. Trump (state Treasury challenge) docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69623558/state-of-new-york-v-donald-j-trump/ CNN: Trump stopping penny production https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-doge-usaid-news-02-09-25#cm6yd9c61001m3b6no8ip8cc3 Coinage clause annotated https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C5-1/ALDE_00001066/ Coinage Act of 1792 https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/historical-documents/coinage-act-of-april-2-1792 31 U.S.C. § 5112 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/5112 12 U.S.C. § 5481 et seq. (creating CFPB) https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/chapter-53/subchapter-V Sen. Warren Initial Report on the CFPB https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/2011/07/Report_BuildingTheCfpb1.pdf Seila Law, LLC v. CFPB https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14557349188638541514 NTEU V. VOUGHT I docket (CFPB data) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277286/ NTEU V. VOUGHT II docket (CFPB dismantling) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.277287/ CFPB v. CFSA https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-448_o7jp.pdf Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod
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Ep 105 — The Week Everyone Sued The Trump Administration
Donald Trump’s blitzkrieg of executive orders is running into a million lawsuits. And Elon Musk’s inability to keep his mouth shut isn’t helping. We’ll discuss the avalanche of lawsuits by labor unions, non-profits, FBI agents, and anonymous federal employees, along with the judiciary’s response. Links: 44 USC § 3501 Note https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/44/3501 Musk associates sought to use critical Treasury payment system to shut down USAID spending, emails show https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/politics/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-system/index.html US v. Illinois docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69616357/united-states-v-state-of-illinois/ FBI Agents Association v. DOJ https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69609596/federal-bureau-of-investigation-agents-association-v-department-of-justice/ AFL-CIO v. Department of Labor docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69613359/afl-cio-v-department-of-labor/ Nat’l Council of Nonprofits v. OMB (“Nonprofits Case”) docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69583571/national-council-of-nonprofits-v-office-of-management-and-budget/ ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS v. BESSENT (challenge to Treasury/BFS) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69607077/alliance-for-retired-americans-v-bessent/ Doe v. OPM docket (challenge to Musk server spoofing OPM email) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69582338/doe-v-office-of-personnel-management New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Trump (challenge to birthright EO) https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69560542/new-hampshire-indonesian-community-support-v-trump/ The Three-Headed Chimera of Trumpian Destruction [Gift Link] https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-three-headed-chimera-of-trumpian-destruction/sharetoken/09cb444c-9355-4852-be93-f505cbbd1418 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod
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Ep 104 — Muskrats Invade Federal Agencies
Elon Musk has invaded Washington. He has set loose a pack of feral teenage code monkeys with a god complex inside every federal agency, promising to do for Washington what he did for Twitter. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, and Musk also has a plan to “rightsize” the government by waving unenforceable contracts at federal employees to induce them into resigning. There’s a Fork in the Road all right, but this one is perhaps best not taken. Links: Nat’l Counsel of Nonprofits v. OMB (“Nonprofits Case”) docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69583571/national-council-of-nonprofits-v-office-of-management-and-budget/ Elon Musk Wants to Get Operational Control of the Treasury’s Payment System. This Could Not Possibly Be More Dangerous by https://www.crisesnotes.com/elon-musk-wants-to-get-operational-control-of-the-treasurys-payment-system-this-could-not-possibly-be-more-dangerous/ Office of Personnel Management “Fork in the Road” https://www.opm.gov/fork OPM Guidance on Schedule Policy/Career (formerly Schedule F) https://chcoc.gov/sites/default/files/OPM%20Memorandum%20re%20Schedule%20Policy%20Career%20Guidance%2001-27-25%20FINAL.pdf American Federation of Gov’t Employees v. Trump docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69588089/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-trump/ VSIP 5 U.S.C. § 3521 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/part-III/subpart-B/chapter-35/subchapter-II Truman EO 9830 https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-9830-amending-the-civil-service-rules-and-providing-for-federal-personnel Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod
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1:05:48
Ep 103 — Trump Executive Orders Wind Up In All The Courts
Trump issued dozens of imperial edicts — oh, sorry, executive orders. Many of them are wildly illegal, mostly are deeply cruel, and all are being challenged in court. We’ll discuss the pending injunctions on his birthright citizenship order and the “pause” on government spending so that he can redline the federal budget and delete all the “woke.” Links: Trump v. Meta docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/61568745/trump-v-meta-platforms-inc/ American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO v. Trump docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69588089/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-trump/ OMB M-25-13 https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/deb7af80-48b6-4b8a-8bfa-3d84fd7c3ec8.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_2 OMB CLARIFICATION MEMO https://ngma.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/White%20House%20OMB%20Clarification%20Memo.pdf Nat’l Counsel of Nonprofits v. OMB (“Nonprofits Case”) docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69583571/national-council-of-nonprofits-v-office-of-management-and-budget/ State of New York v. Trump (“States Case”) docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69585994/state-of-new-york-v-trump/ OPM Guidance on Schedule F https://www.chcoc.gov/content/guidance-implementing-president-trump%E2%80%99s-executive-order-titled-restoring-accountability Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod
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56:11
Ep 102 — Trump Steals The Budget (Ft. Bobby Kogan)
Everyone knows that Congress has the power of the purse. What this administration presupposes is … maybe they don’t??? We’ll talk about Trump’s decision to steal budgeting power from Congress in violation of both the Constitution and the Impoundment Control Act with Office of Management and Budget Alum Bobby Kogan. Links: Bobby Kogan https://www.americanprogress.org/people/bobby-kogan/ Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends v. Department of Homeland Security https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69580474/philadelphia-yearly-meeting-of-the-religious-society-of-friends-v/ Trump Energy impoundment EO https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/ Trump EO pausing foreign aid for 90 days: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/ Trump OMB “Clarification” https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/01/omb-memo-m-25-11/ Kendall v. US ex Rel. Stokes, 37 U.S. 524 (1838) https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/37/524/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod
Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That’s true for a traffic stop, and it’s true if you want to participate in whatever’s left of American democracy. If the events since the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that tuning out is not an option. Legal journalists Liz Dye and Andrew Torrez break down the week’s most important courtroom stories, so you can keep on top of this crazy news cycle. Whether it’s Texas giving two middle fingers to the Supreme Court, or Donald Trump in all the courts at once, we’ve got you covered.
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