"diminishes the gravity...denigrates the work...excuses criminal acts..." The judge who handled the Oath Keepers Jan. 6 prosecution expressed dismay at how it had all unraveled under Trump, even as he acknowledged he lacked authority to override DOJ's choice to wipe the slate clean buff.ly/WgAx5pq

Another lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's latest round of global tariffs (this time under Section 301, re: alleged failure to prevent forced labor in the supply chain) hit the docket today, this time brought by Dem state officials. From Erik Larson: buff.ly/CVmhnFx

Trump’s Latest Tariffs Hit With New Lawsuit by Group of States

A group of 25 US states filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs that went into effect last month, adding to similar complaints by groups of small businesses who claim…

bloomberg.com

New lawsuit accuses Treasury of failing to disclose info about payouts via the Judgment Fund, a central pool of money used to resolve certain claims against the govt. Story from Bob Van Voris: buff.ly/WqSReXB Case: buff.ly/FUVzZl2 Why everyone's talking about the Judgment Fund: buff.ly/5EJYwhg

New: Acting AG Blanche shared two docs meant to assuage GOP holdouts to his nomination. They leave intact the text of the Trump settlement + audit immunity that spurred controversy, while walking back/clarifying DOJ's stance. Now what? The Blanche docs, annotated: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

New today: President Donald Trump is appealing a judge’s ruling that bars him from attempting to use a sweeping audit-immunity settlement that resolved his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. From Erik Larson: buff.ly/8LEy0yQ

DEEP DIVE: The Trump administration's court losses are putting taxpayers on the hook for potentially millions in legal fees. (plus, a $250K fee fight in the Kennedy Center's case against a musician who backed out after the board added Trump's name) Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

NEW: The US government is on the hook for potentially millions of taxpayer dollars in legal bills sought by successful challengers to some of the Trump administration’s most controversial actions and policies www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The DC Circuit sided against Dems in one of the suits against Trump's mail voting EO, finding claims were premature because agencies hadn't done anything concrete yet. But the panel warned a block could come later if officials tried to implement "massive changes" for the midterms buff.ly/fJ4CZkA

The years-long legal fight over whether DOJ could release former president Joe Biden's interview recordings with his memoir-writing partner ended yesterday, after Biden opted not to continue pressing his opposition in court: buff.ly/m1V2oBl Here's Gregory Korte on what they contain: buff.ly/rivXuTt

NEW: The Trump administration has asked SCOTUS to let federal officials move ahead with the president’s overhaul of mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections, after lower courts blocked officials from taking steps to carry out his directives in nearly half the country. buff.ly/fJ4CZkA

NEW: A US appeals court rejected DOJ's request to let federal officials fully move ahead with Trump’s overhaul of mail voting ahead of the November midterms, leaving in place a Boston judge’s order blocking key parts of the president’s exec. order in 23 states + DC www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

ROUND 3: The Trump administration is facing a fresh legal challenge to the president’s latest round of global tariffs that took effect Friday. The small businesses that sued allege this is an unlawful use of US trade law to try to reimpose the Trump tariffs that SCOTUS struck down buff.ly/DG4paK8

Today in court: MATH A very no-nonsense US magistrate judge in Va. spent the morning resolving disputes about how much info/docs/depositions plaintiffs can get from the Trump admin re: the anti-weaponization fund plan. Everyone should leave "somewhat unhappy" was how he described his approach

New: In a 2-1 decision overnight, the DC Circuit cleared the way for DOJ to give the Heritage Foundation former President Joe Biden's interview recordings with his ghostwriter from years ago, although the court delayed its order taking effect until 8/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Round 2: The Fed firing fight has been formally sent back to the district court for the next phase of proceedings after Trump and DOJ failed to convince SCOTUS to let him immediately oust Governor Lisa Cook (refresher: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...). TBD on what the next round will look like

As Acting AG Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing kicks off this morning, a look at the criticism he faced from a federal judge in Miami just two days ago for how he handled DOJ's deal to settle President Trump's $10B lawsuit against the IRS buff.ly/SRuBbS2 The hearing is live here: buff.ly/lvGSzUK

New: The US judge who slammed DOJ's deal with Trump to end his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS turned a critical eye specifically on Acting AG Todd Blanche's conduct -- on the eve of his Senate confirmation hearing. A deep dive into what she found: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"...brought to manipulate the judicial process" On today's ruling slamming Trump, his lawyers and DOJ for the settlement to end his IRS lawsuit. At a minimum, it appears to undermine part of the deal that gives Trump immunity from audits into past tax filings, among other sanctions buff.ly/htbROQC

New: Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to President Trump, is taking the unusual step of continuing to challenge his Biden-era contempt of Congress conviction even though DOJ walked away from the case nearly a year ago. Tldr: He doesn't want the Bannon result www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

DOJ recently finalized/executed a second settlement with Trump ally Michael Flynn to resolve another suit he filed against the US over $38K withheld from his military retirement pay re: a foreign emoluments issue. Person familiar said the payout was a sum below $75K www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

NEW: DOJ settled a second lawsuit with Trump ally Michael Flynn, resolving his claim that the Army wrongly withheld $38K in retirement pay after concluding he accepted money from a Russia-controlled entity for a 2015 speech without approval; source says payout is a sum below $75K buff.ly/0Jh9HOf

Trump firing fights press on: Following this week's SCOTUS ruling expanding presidential firing power, two agency heads removed by Trump indicate they still see paths forward for legal challenges -- both cases feature race discrimination claims, for one thing: buff.ly/2vXn48c Prev: buff.ly/tw6npO9

*taps the mic* there is another way

The Supreme Court's blockbuster decision expanding presidential control over federal agencies sent shock waves across the government, reopening lawsuits in limbo over Trump's efforts to oust officials and spurring fresh fears about where the ax will land next www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

NEW: The US Supreme Court’s ruling this week expanding President Trump’s control over federal agencies sent shock waves across the government, reopening lawsuits in limbo over his efforts to oust officials and spurring fresh fears about where the ax will land next www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump’s Firing Power Ripples Through US Agencies After Court Win

The US Supreme Court’s ruling this week expanding President Donald Trump’s control over federal agencies sent shock waves across the government, reopening lawsuits over his efforts to oust officials…

bloomberg.com

Today in "case captions that spike your blood pressure": Brennan v. Blanche Former CIA Director John Brennan sued the Trump administration, asking a judge to ensure government records are preserved in case he’s indicted so he can seek to prove later that the charges are "vindictive" buff.ly/ezcJp8Y

Trying to make sense of today's blockbuster SCOTUS decisions today in the Federal Reserve and FTC firing cases? What does this all mean? Who can Trump fire? Who can't he fire (for now)? Can he fire via social media post? What is "cause"? What's next at the Fed? We break it all down: buff.ly/Hm6DAPy

Six Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Fed Independence Ruling

The US Supreme Court on Monday gave President Donald Trump robust legal backing to fire top agency officials, with one glaring exception: the Federal Reserve.

bloomberg.com

Hello on this mildly muggy morning from the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Md., where former national security advisor John Bolton is expected to plead guilty to retaining national defense material. He didn't speak with reporters on the way in. Stay tuned. Prev: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

NEW: A federal judge in Boston has declared key sections of Trump's executive order on mail voting unlawful and specifically blocked the administration from enforcing them as to the Democratic-led states + DC that sued www.bloomberg.com/news/article... Opinion: assets.bwbx.io/documents/us...

Potential candidates are both quietly and loudly teeing themselves up to be considered if a Supreme Court seat opens. Allies are privately pushing their people to those in Trump’s orbit. But some of the perceived jockeying among judges is pretty public. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Judges Jockey for Potential Trump Supreme Court Appointment

Several prominent conservative leaning judges are seen as auditioning to become President Trump’s next pick for the Supreme Court.

news.bloomberglaw.com