Barb McQuade
@barbmcquade.bsky.social
Wife, Mom, UMich Law School Professor from Practice, MSNOW legal analyst, The Contrarian contributor, former U.S. Attorney, EDMI
Book tour heads west and back again. 🛫🏔️📚 Please join me to discuss The Fix at one of these upcoming book talks:
Barb McQuade@barbmcquade.bsky.social · last wk.Upcoming book talks for The Fix. Hope to see you in one of these great cities! 8/6 Boulder, CO boulderbookstore.net/event/2026-0... 8/10 Denver www.eventbrite.com/e/barbara-mc... 8/11 Jackson Hole, WY 891khol.org/events/on-th... 8/26 West Bloomfield, MI (new date) schulerbooks.com/event/2026-0...
A meaningful resolution of Blanche’s IRS deal would have been: - Immunity is rescinded: Trump can refile his lawsuit when he leaves office to avoid conflict of interest; - Blanche agrees DOJ will make no payouts to J6 defendants and other criminals prosecuted by Biden DOJ without court oversight.
Blanche’s focus on immigration enforcement has been a fool’s errand. Going after quantity over quality of targets is all for show. Protecting public safety requires investigating people who pose a real danger over trolling the parking lots of Home Depot stores to catch day laborers.
During today’s Senate judiciary hearing, Sen. Grassley credited Todd Blanche with reducing violent crime rates. Crime rates started going down during the Biden administration after a spike in 2020 during the pandemic under Trump‘s watch.
Tillis and Cornyn have caved to Trump’s $100 million IRS immunity, but that’s just one reason to reject him as AG. Here are many more:
Barb McQuade@barbmcquade.bsky.social · 4d agoBlanche should be blocked for IRS/slush fund AND - targeting Comey, James, Hearn, Powell, Walz, Frey, MOCs - Epstein - payouts to Flynn, Page, Babbitt, Vaughn - rejecting ethics advice to recuse from Trump cases - “war” on judiciary - “cleaning house” of DOJ personnel who worked on Trump cases
Blanche’s written update to the slush fund and IRS immunity for Trump is nothing more than a shell game. My thoughts in @opinion.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Trump Still Has That IRS Immunity. Don’t Be Fooled
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s assurance to senators about the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and President Trump’s immunity with the Internal Revenue Service is nothing more than a ho...
bloomberg.com
I had the pleasure of joining Henry Gornbein to discuss my book, The Fix. Hope you can use these ideas for taking back our democracy. You can watch it here. youtu.be/2EyHUkiXQtA?...
Gracefully Greying with Barbara McQuade
YouTube video by Bloomfield Community Television
youtu.be
Blanche’s appeasement is hollow. Trump still gets immunity from tax audits worth $100 million. And last week’s payout to abortion clinic blocker shows the path to payouts to rewrite history will be individual settlements instead of one designated fund. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
Blanche Gives G.O.P. Senators Written Assurances on Trump’s I.R.S. Deal (Gift Article)
Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general has been held up over concerns about a planned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies and the president’s immunity from tax scrutiny.
nytimes.com
Blanche should be blocked for IRS/slush fund AND - targeting Comey, James, Hearn, Powell, Walz, Frey, MOCs - Epstein - payouts to Flynn, Page, Babbitt, Vaughn - rejecting ethics advice to recuse from Trump cases - “war” on judiciary - “cleaning house” of DOJ personnel who worked on Trump cases
New episode of #SistersInLaw breaks down the Blanche confirmation battle and new revelations in the Comey prosecution. It’s even worse than we thought. You can listen here. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Blanche’s nomination is on the rocks over Trump’s IRS grift, but so much more of Blanche’s conduct as acting AG is disqualifying. I’ll discuss with @jacobsoboroff.bsky.social on @msnownews.bsky.social at 10:30 am ET. www.ms.now/opinion/todd...
Opinion | Here's what the Senate vote on Todd Blanche is actually about
Duncan Levin: Sens. Cornyn and Tillis are bargaining over two grotesque provisions, not confronting the Justice Department’s overall record under Blanche.
ms.now
Reflecting Pool case was doomed to fail from the start. DOJ’s willingness to scapegoat an innocent man to indulge Trump’s lies of vandalism is shameful. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/u...
Charges Dropped Against Ex-Olympian David Hearn Accused of Damaging Reflecting Pool
A former Olympian will not face trial after federal prosecutors acknowledged that the Trump administration’s claims of vandalism were false.
nytimes.com
This case was doomed from the start. If there is to be a DOJ “weaponization” fund, as Trump insists, let’s start the payouts with this one. www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
Justice Department drops criminal case against Olympian over damaged Reflecting Pool
Government lawyers said in a 20-page court filing that information provided since the indictment of David Hearn shows that the damage was the result of a “flawed installation by the contractor” as wel...
pbs.org
Blanche nomination is in jeopardy because he won’t commit in writing to ending the slush fund and Trump immunity. I’ll discuss tonight on The Last Word on MSNOW.
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell@lastwordmsnow.bsky.social · 5d agoTONIGHT: @barbmcquade.bsky.social joins Vaughn Hillyard on The #LastWord at 10pm ET.
My book talk for The Fix will be featured on BookTV on C-SPAN on Sunday at 6 pm. Please tune in! www.c-span.org/event/book-t...
c-span.org
Blanche’s nomination is on the rocks. I’ll join the Dan Abrams Show to discuss on Sirius XM monetarily.
Trump is still pushing the lie that the thugs who stormed the Capitol and assaulted police officers are victims to be paid. These criminals received due process and were convicted at trial or by guilty plea. It’s all part of the false narrativr that he won the 2020 election. Can we say enough?
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5d agoTrump makes clear that he still supports the taxpayer-funded J6 slush fund: "I will always feel that these victims of govt abuse should be paid back ... Millions agree with me, as was proven in my landslide Presidential win, where this was a major subject of debate."
We need a constitutional amendment to permit limits on campaign expenditures and prevent billionaires from buying elections. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/u...
Elon Musk Plans at Least $100 Million in Midterm Spending to Help Republicans
Elon Musk, a year after a huge blowup with President Trump and the Republican Party, is said to be planning to spend in at least eight states to help them in November.
nytimes.com
Trump would rather pull Blanche’s nomination for AG than allow him to commit in writing that Trump’s IRS deal is off. The immunity Blanche granted to Trump from IRS audits is a windfall that some experts estimate is worth $100 million in taxpayer funds for Trump. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/u...
Trump Threatens to Withdraw Blanche as Attorney General, Dealing Blow to Nomination
President Trump’s threat followed a day of fruitless negotiations with two Republican holdouts, Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
nytimes.com
Proud to be a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame selection task force. Class of 2026 announced here: michigansportshof.org/2026-mshof-c...
2026 MSHOF Class and Ceremony Announcement - Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
The 2026 Class was selected by a statewide task force, comprised of current and former journalists and former sports executives, along with a public online vote.
michigansportshof.org
Documents filed in Comey seashell case show DOJ is trying to prove its a case with a disgruntled former associate, a TV actress, and a mobster, none of whom has any first-hand information. What a mockery of justice. One more reason to block Blanche. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/u...
Trump Demanded Details of Agents’ Interview of Comey, New Filing Says (Gift Article)
The request suggests the intense personal involvement of President Trump in investigating one of his longtime critics, the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey.
nytimes.com
DOJ’s seven-figure payout to convicted abortion clinic blocker shows slush fund is very much alive. My thoughts in @opinion.bloomberg.com. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Blanche’s Slush Fund By Any Other Name Is Still Corrupt
A sleight of hand occurred at the Department of Justice as drama was unfolding in the Senate over Todd Blanche’s confirmation for attorney general.
bloomberg.com
Fauci may invoke his 5th Am right, despite Biden’s pardon, which applies only to crimes he “may” have committed in the past. Unless Congress grants him immunity from using his statements against him, he has a reasonable fear of future prosecution from this DOJ. www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions at GOP-led Covid hearing, calls Rand Paul ‘unhinged’
The former top health official said he was invoking the Fifth Amendment to avoid the possibility that Republicans on the Senate committee might try to prosecute him for perjury.
nbcnews.com
It’s Wednesday.Today is the day we answer your questions on #SistersSidebar You can listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
I don’t see dismissal here for vindictive prosecution (retaliation for exercising a legal right in the same or related case), but if ever there was a case for selective prosecution, this is it. DOJ has singled out Comey when it has not charged the many others who have engaged in similar conduct.
Adam Klasfeld@klasfeldreports.com · last wk."This is the second indictment that the DOJ has obtained against Mr. Comey in less than a year—both at President Trump’s direction." Comey files his long-anticipated motion to dismiss for vindictive and selective prosecution. Doc storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Something appropriate about this president destroying intelligence.
Lawfare@lawfaremedia.org · last wk.Intelligence is useful only if it tells policymakers what they need to know, not what they want to hear. @juliacurlee.bsky.social explains the White House's assault on the intelligence community and the cost of politicized intelligence.
Gordie Howe Bridge opened yesterday, 46 days after Trump blocked it. Owner of rival bridge, who donated $1 million to Trump PAC in March, earned an estimated $6.9 million in tolls during that time as travelers and businesses endured costs of slow border crossing. www.freep.com/story/news/l...
Gordie Howe International Bridge is open! Here's what you need to cross it
The Gordie Howe International Bridge opens at noon July 27. Here's what drivers need to know to cross, including tolls, ID info and more.
freep.com
Sad that Senators develop a backbone only after losing the primary, but better that wisdom come late than not at all. While Blanche should not be confirmed at all, short of that, at least Cornyn is demanding a halt to Trump‘s hundred million dollar gift from IRS. www.politico.com/live-updates...
Cornyn wants Trump IRS settlement rewritten before voting for Blanche
The Texas Republican drew a red line ahead of a crucial Judiciary Committee vote Thursday.
politico.com
