Randall Eliason
@rdeliason.bsky.social
White collar crime prof, former federal prosecutor, columnist and blogger, a cappella singer, husband, dad and grandpa.
The reflecting pool case was just another example of Trump's Justice Department trying to please him and back up his fantasies through abuse of the criminal justice process. www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
Jeanine Pirro struggles to give Trump the wins he craves the most
She’s delivering on some core priorities — but the Reflecting Pool is just the latest politically charged prosecution to fall flat.
politico.com
The vote on Blanche's nomination is set for tomorrow, but there are signs it may be in trouble. Here's hoping some in the Senate are developing a spine. Blanche has no business being Attorney General. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/todd-blanc...
Todd Blanche Should Not Be Attorney General
His record is disqualifying
sidebarsblog.com
This disgraceful prosecution -- spearheaded by Todd Blanche -- is one of many reasons the Senate should reject his nomination to be Attorney General.
memeorandum@memeorandum.com · last wk.Comey asks judge to dismiss Trump 'seashells' case citing lack of 'true threat' (Dan Mangan/CNBC) Main Link | memeorandum Permalink
Comey asks judge to dismiss Trump 'seashells' case citing lack of 'true threat' (Dan Mangan/CNBC) Main Link | memeorandum Permalink
Break doors and windows at the Capitol, assault police officers, and you’re a patriot who deserves a pardon. But pick up some peeling paint from the reflecting pool and you’ll be prosecuted. That’s the DOJ under Trump and Todd Blanche. He’s unfit for the job. open.substack.com/pub/sidebars...
Todd Blanche Should Not Be Attorney General
His record is disqualifying
open.substack.com
My latest on Sidebars: Todd Blanche’s record at DOJ over the past 18 months shows he is unfit to serve as Attorney General. open.substack.com/pub/sidebars...
Todd Blanche Should Not Be Attorney General
His record is disqualifying
open.substack.com
this is knicks game 3 all over again isn’t it the trump curse lives!
Well, this tracks. FIFA may be one of the few institutions in the world that is as corrupt as the Trump administration. They understand each other. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/05/u...
Trump Asked FIFA to Review U.S. Player’s Suspension. Now He’s Eligible to Play.
nytimes.com
Honored that the great @rdeliason.bsky.social mentioned my @lawfaremedia.org piece on the Broadview Six in his excellent roundup of Trump administration malfeasance before the district courts. Here's a link to my piece: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/r.i....
R.I.P. Chicago Protester Prosecution (2025-2026)
How a felony case against the “Broadview Six” dwindled to a misdemeanor charge against the “Broadview Four”—and then suddenly died.
lawfaremedia.org
Randall Eliason@rdeliason.bsky.social · last mo.My latest on Sidebars: in a little more than a year, the Trump administration has destroyed the judicial trust that took decades to build. Judges are now rejecting the traditional presumption of regularity they used to apply to acts of government officials. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-presum...
My latest on Sidebars: in a little more than a year, the Trump administration has destroyed the judicial trust that took decades to build. Judges are now rejecting the traditional presumption of regularity they used to apply to acts of government officials. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-presum...
The Presumption of Irregularity
Under Trump, an old legal doctrine is flipped on its head
sidebarsblog.com
My latest on Sidebars: under Trump, the presumption of regularity that courts apply to government actions has been flipped. Now, if the government is accused of misconduct, it's reasonable for a court to assume there is probably something to the accusation. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/the-presum...
The Presumption of Irregularity
Under Trump, an old legal doctrine is flipped on its head
sidebarsblog.com
The damage to DOJ's credibility is a huge problem. Assuming we someday once again have a Justice Department interested in pursuing true corruption cases, who could blame judges or juries from believing a legitimate defendant was politically targeted? www.politico.com/news/2026/06...
Trump’s DOJ has a credibility problem. Newsom is testing how far it goes.
The California governor says a possible probe is political payback.
politico.com
Some criticized Jack Smith for bringing the Trump classified docs case in FL rather than DC. But today's SCOTUS decision in Abouammo shows he was right. The investigation was in DC but the obstructive acts and retention of docs were in FL. Venue is a constitutional requirement, not an option.
Mark Joseph Stern@mjsdc.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe Supreme Court's third AND FINAL decision is Abouammo v. U.S., holding that a defendant charged with falsifying records must be tried where the falsification occurred under the Sixth Amendment. Unanimous, per Kagan. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
The NBA games are clearly rigged. The Knicks were leading at halftime last night but then as the evening went on there were wide changes in the results. This is undermining fan integrity and confidence in the result.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo agoRAJU: The president keep saying the California election was rigged. What evidence have you seen? SCALISE: You had wide changes after election night in the results R: They're just counting the ballots SCALISE: Look, whether you can prove fraud or not, it does undermine voter integrity in the vote
That's a key characteristic of a good conspiracy theory: if there is no evidence of the conspiracy, that merely proves how good the conspirators have been at covering it up.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo agoRAJU: But what evidence is there to prove the California election is rigged? MIKE JOHNSON: Look, some of these efforts are so diabolical and so far upstream it's impossible to prove. But I think everybody knows instinctively that something is wrong here.
Your periodic reminder that even if a witness is not under oath, lying during a Congressional interview is still a felony - 18 U.S.C. 1001. Taking an oath may make the proceeding seem more serious and formal, but it's not necessary for criminal liability. www.politico.com/news/2026/05...
Pam Bondi is set for another Hill grilling — but not the one some lawmakers hoped for
The ousted former attorney general is scheduled to answer questions Friday from the House Oversight Committee on how she handled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
politico.com
The obligation of a prosecutor to act ethically is especially important in the grand jury, where there is no judge or defense counsel to intervene. Prosecutors in Trump's DOJ are ignoring those obligations and eroding the judicial trust built up over decades. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/u...
As Trump Politicizes Justice Dept., Prosecutors Struggle With Grand Juries
nytimes.com
Blanche said yesterday other expressions of "86 47" won't be prosecuted but the Comey case is based on additional evidence of intent - although he couldn't say what that was. If they really had such evidence it would be in the indictment. #selectiveprosecution www.sidebarsblog.com/p/todd-blanc...
Todd Blanche Escalates the Abuses at the Justice Department
The acting AG auditions for the permanent job
sidebarsblog.com
My latest on Sidebars: when Todd Blanche was first appointed to DOJ, some were hopeful that the former AUSA from the Southern District of NY would be a moderating influence, someone who respected DOJ's norms and the rule of law. Those hopes have been dashed. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/todd-blanc...
Todd Blanche Escalates the Abuses at the Justice Department
The acting AG auditions for the permanent job
sidebarsblog.com
My latest on Sidebars: with Todd Blanche in charge at DOJ, things have gone from bad to worse. The new Comey indictment doesn't pass the laugh test or the smell test. And anyone who signed off on it would not pass a first-year criminal law test. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/todd-blanc...
Todd Blanche Escalates the Abuses at the Justice Department
The acting AG auditions for the permanent job
sidebarsblog.com
The defense should move for access to the grand jury transcripts in the new Comey case. It’s hard to believe the grand jurors weren’t misled about the legal requirements of these charges.
I mean, it was obviously a threat. Who can forget the famous scene from "The Godfather" when they find the seashell art on the doorstep and everyone knows it means Luca Brasi sleeps with the scallops?
Among the many ridiculous things about this indictment is that it includes a forfeiture request - so that if convicted Comey must forfeit to the US any property that constitutes proceeds of his seashell threat. Huh? 🤔
Kyle Cheney@kyledcheney.bsky.social · 3mo agoJUST IN: Indicitment reveals charges against Comey over "86 47" Instagram post: -Threat to kill or injure Trump -Transmission of threat via interstate commerce (social media) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
I remember when people had some hope that Todd Blanche, a former AUSA in the Southern District of NY, might be a moderating influence at DOJ. But he's become a true believer. What a disappointment. It's almost like they are letting Trump write the briefs now. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/u...
Adopting Trump’s Voice, Justice Dept. Asks Judge to Let Ballroom Proceed
nytimes.com
As predicted, DC US Attorney Pirro has now dropped the investigation of Jerome Powell that she never should have started in the first place, clearing the way for Warsh’s confirmation. Her string of failed, political prosecutions continues. www.sidebarsblog.com/p/jeanine-pi...
Jeanine Pirro's Remarkable Losing Streak Continues
Judge rejects her subpoenas to the Federal Reserve
sidebarsblog.com
Texas republicans illegally gerrymandered their maps and never once asked voters how they feel about it. California and Virginia let voters decide. That’s the difference. They started this fight and Democrats are going to fucking finish it.
Indeed. Complaints about redistricting are invalid. Republicans did it everywhere and invalidated a Constitutional Amendment so they could do it on explicitly racial lines. There are two choices: use the same levers of power as Republicans do, or let them win. There is no "principled" opposition.
Andy Craig@andycraig.bsky.social · 4mo agoStarting a mid-decade redistricting war only to end up with -1 seats is the same fine strategic genius and subtle grasp of game theory that brough us the Strait of Hormuz.
There is a public interest in supporting jury verdicts after a full and fair trial. Justice shouldn’t be whipsawed just because the administration changes. The court should appoint counsel to argue the other side, since this motion is of course unopposed.
Randall Eliason@rdeliason.bsky.social · 4mo agoI’m not sure what the legal standard is but I assume the court will not automatically grant this motion. Trying to drop the case after a jury verdict is very different from dismissing it prior to trial.
Such obvious theatrics and attempted intimidation. Prosecutors are unlikely to learn anything relevant to a fraud case by visiting the site, and if they really wanted to see it they would have arranged a visit with someone knowledgeable about the work.
Eric Columbus@ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 4mo agoBREAKING: In latest effort to appease/impress Trump, Jeanine Pirro sends prosecutors to make surprise visit at Fed HQ construction site. They ask for a tour but get turned away. Bad news for Kevin Walsh confirmation! GIFT LINK: www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...