Three years and 1,300 stories later, today’s my last day @thehill.com, a newsroom that punches above its weight and has made me a better reporter. More to share soon on my next steps, but first, some highlights and thank yous:
Ella Lee
@byellalee.bsky.social
US Justice Correspondent at Financial Times. Previously: The Hill, USA Today. đź’¬ cell/signal: 202-422-4394 đź“© ella.lee@ft.com https://linktr.ee/byellalee
Judge Boasberg says he won’t reconsider his decision blocking DOJ subpoenas of the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Judge won’t reconsider decision blocking grand jury subpoenas of Fed, Jerome Powell
A federal judge on Friday said he won’t reconsider his decision blocking Justice Department subpoenas of the Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, …
thehill.com
Trump is expected to get up close & personal with the justices this morning, heading to SCOTUS for oral args over his birthright citizenship EO — the first time a sitting president is known to have done so. 5 things we're watching for @thehill.com: thehill.com/newsletters/...
5 things to watch as Supreme Court weighs birthright citizenship
Keep reading for our interview with an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney who is the challengers’ counsel of record. President Trump is headed to Supreme Court this morning …
thehill.com
🚨You can find The Gavel, @thehill.com's newsletter about how the courts influence national politics and vice versa by me & @zschonfeld.bsky.social, on Substack now: thehillinsider.substack.com
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A person familiar with the sitch tells @thehill.com that the bar has opened a “monitor file” on Halligan, its regular process for when any attorney is involved in an ongoing legal proceeding. It ensures the bar checks back to see the outcome. More in story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Ella Lee@byellalee.bsky.social · 7mo agoNEWS: Florida’s bar now says it “erroneously” stated that an ethics investigation is underway against Lindsey Halligan. "There is no such pending Bar investigation of Lindsay Halligan," spox says. Story tk
NEWS: Florida’s bar now says it “erroneously” stated that an ethics investigation is underway against Lindsey Halligan. "There is no such pending Bar investigation of Lindsay Halligan," spox says. Story tk
Lindsey Halligan, the ex-US atty for the Eastern District of Virginia who prosecuted Trump's political adversaries, is being investigated by Florida's bar association, per a letter obtained by The Hill. Story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Bizarre: The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to let it continue defending President Trump’s executive orders targeting several of the nation’s top law firms — just a day after deserting the appeals. No comment from DOJ on the matter.
Just now: Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. last year, has pleaded NOT GUILTY to new terrorism-related charges.
#SOTU: President Trump shakes hands with all four Supreme Court justices who attended his State of the Union address. That’s Chief Justice Roberts & Justices Kagan, Kavanaugh and Barrett.
Hegseth & the Pentagon are appealing a judge's ruling that blocked their bid to punish Sen. Mark Kelly over his video with other Dems urging service members to reject "illegal orders":
Ella Lee@byellalee.bsky.social · 8mo agoA federal judge has BLOCKED the Pentagon’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over the AZ senator's video with other Dems calling on service members to reject "illegal orders." Says the gov "trampled on" Kelly's 1A freedoms & threatened the liberties of millions of vets: thehill.com/regulation/c...
A federal judge has BLOCKED the Pentagon’s bid to punish Mark Kelly over the AZ senator's video with other Dems calling on service members to reject "illegal orders." Says the gov "trampled on" Kelly's 1A freedoms & threatened the liberties of millions of vets: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Ed Martin no longer heads DOJ's Weaponization Working Group. Source says Martin was told in early December that his time in the role would expire at year's end but it hadn't been publicly announced. DOJ says he continues to serve as pardon atty. More: thehill.com/regulation/c...
thehill.com
Barry Pollack, who represented WikiLeaks' Julian Assange, has been retained by Nicolas Maduro:
The new indictment against Maduro, his wife & Venezuelan officials alleges decades of power abuses to corrupt gov institutions, import cocaine to the US and enrich the nation’s elite — esp the Maduro fam. What to know about the case: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Just in: Brian Cole Jr., the DC pipe bomb suspect, will remain locked up pending trial, a judge rules, saying gov met its burden to show there are "no conditions of release the Court could impose to reasonably assure the safety of the community." Filing: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
TODAY: The future of independent agencies heads to the Supreme Court, where this morning the justices will hear oral arguments on Trump’s bid to fire FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter w/o cause. Story w/ @zschonfeld.bsky.social: thehill.com/regulation/c...
The head of GA's Prosecuting Attorneys' Council is taking over the 2020 election subversion case against Trump & allies, after "several" attys turned the job down. Today was the deadline to pick a new lead post-Fani Willis's disqualification or face dismissal. Story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
Ahead of args, two plaintiffs leading the charge talked w/The Gavel, @thehill.com's weekly courts newsletter, ab the importance of the SCOTUS case. Per wine importer VOS Selections' Victor Schwartz: “You cannot make a Chianti in Oregon." Story w/@zschonfeld.bsky.social: thehill.com/newsletters/...
Ella Lee@byellalee.bsky.social · 11mo agoSOON: President Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda will be dissected by the Supreme Court as his admin seeks to justify its global trade overhaul by pointing to emergency powers. Story: thehill.com/homenews/558...
SOON: President Trump’s sweeping tariff agenda will be dissected by the Supreme Court as his admin seeks to justify its global trade overhaul by pointing to emergency powers. Story: thehill.com/homenews/558...
The 2020 election subversion cases are on life support — but they’re not dead yet. In this week's edition of The Gavel, @thehill.com's weekly courts digest, some updates on where things stand (🧵): thehill.com/newsletters/...
SCOTUS wants additional briefing in the pending case about Trump's National Guard deployment to the Chicagoland area:
Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive candidate for Congress in IL-9, was hit with federal charges tied to an ICE protest alongside five others, including local political candidates. They're set to be arraigned on Nov. 5. Story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
thehill.com
U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee who sits on a federal court in South Carolina, has been assigned to weigh Comey's challenge to interim-US atty Lindsey Halligan's appointment. Filing: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71459...
An appeals court has temporarily lifted the part of a judge’s order blocking Trump’s federalization of the National Guard in Illinois but says they still can’t be deployed for now (though, looks like the TX troops can stay in the state): storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
New: The indictment of NY AG Letitia James over real estate fraud allegations may ring a bell. Though far smaller in scope, it echoes the civil fraud case she mounted against Trump that put her in the president’s crosshairs. Story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
NY AG Letitia James has been indicted by a federal grand jury on two charges stemming from mortgage fraud allegations, making her the second prominent Trump adversary to face criminal charges after he vowed to seek retribution against his perceived enemies. Story: thehill.com/regulation/c...
thehill.com
Letitia James's initial court appearance in Norfolk, Va., is set for Oct. 24, before a magistrate judge: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
#4 in United States v. James (E.D. Va., 2:25-cr-00122) – CourtListener.com
Summons Issued and delivered to USM in case as to Letitia A. James. Initial Appearance set for 10/24/2025 at 09:00 AM in Norfolk Mag Courtroom 2 before Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller. (dbra, ) (En...
courtlistener.com
Ex-FBI director James Comey's arraignment has been moved up to Wednesday at 10am. Judge cites security & other conflicting matters that are expected to draw "large numbers of people to the courthouse" at the same time. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
