Law and Chaos

DOCKET ALERTS: Alina Habba is newly married and locked in a knife fight with fellow Trumplander Ric Grenell. She says he failed to deposit a $6 million check to the Kennedy Center. And — hey, what a coincidence! — a week later, the New York Times reported that Habba got a $50 million contract from a Venezuelan billionaire seeking a pardon for campaign finance violations. Virginia State Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas got indicted for running a chain of unlicensed marijuana dispensaries with her family. A magistrate judge in Florida says Trump has to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his defamation trollsuit against the BBC. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: It's a pitched battle between the bottom of Donald Trump's personal lawyers, Daniel Epstein, who filed a motion to please decide this quickly because being sanctioned by a federal judge is embarrassing, and Alex Jones's, who got two extensions of time to file their Fifth Circuit brief and somehow still managed not to turn in their homework on time. Now the Fifth Circuit might toss Alex Jones's appeal without a hearing. MAIN SHOW: Two weeks before the midterm elections, the Department of Justice is demanding that California "segregate" 20,000 mail-in ballots from voters it says are noncitizens. Trump's henchmen filed a lawsuit and tried to steer this case to one of his appointees, but the move backfired and landed on the docket of one of the administration's harshest critics, Judge David Carter. Whoops! Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued an injunction blocking HSI thugs from harassing citizens for voting. SUBSCRIBER BONUS: Civil procedure FTW! In a lawsuit filed by the NAACP seeking to prevent Homeland Security from sending goons to the polls. A federal judge just ordered expedited discovery in an effort to protect the security of the midterms. Exclusive: White House probes claims of missing Kennedy Center money in "MAGA blood feud" https://www.axios.com/2026/10/14/trump-kennedy-center-donation-maga-feud A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/politics/julio-herrera-pardon-alina-habba.html US v. Lucas https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/75002838/united-states-v-lucas/ Trump v. BBC https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation/ Donald Trump v. Thirty Five Federal Judges [11th Cir. appeal of attorney sanctions in IRS case] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73710657/donald-trump-v-thirty-five-former-federal-judges/ Jones v. Heslin [Alex Jones 5th Cir. appeal] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73472491/jones-v-heslin/ US v. California [DOJ demands California purge mail-in ballots] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74967108/america-v-california-state-of/ California Nurses Association v. Mullin https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74815064/california-nurses-association-v-mullin NAACP v. DHS [Subscriber bonus] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74811483/national-association-for-the-advancement-of-colored-people-v-us/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: Maryland Congressman Andy Harris is confused about who gets to record him losing his mind in public. Judge Tim Kelly issued a preliminary injunction, continuing the TRO which blocked the White House from banning reporters from CNN, MSNOW, and Politico from accessing the White House grounds. Naturally the White House has appealed to the DC Circuit. And now the DOJ is investigating media outlets who boycotted pool coverage for potential antitrust violations. (No, it's not an antitrust violation, STFU.) Judge Ana Reyes is pissed that the Park Service razed hundreds of healthy trees at East Potomac Golf Course after repeatedly assuring her that they'd do no such thing. She issued a TRO and vowed to put officials on the stand Monday until she finds out who is to blame. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: The new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is very bad at her job. She's also not a lawyer, despite years of holding herself out as one. MAIN SHOW: Can the Trump administration really denaturalize and deport Rep. Ilhan Omar? The J.M. Smucker Company has sued Trader Joe's for trademark infringement and dilution over its knockoff "Uncrustables." Is this another "Buc-ee's" overreach, or does Smucker's have a point? SUBSCRIBER BONUS: An appeals court in Ohio just struck down the state's voucher program that funnels taxpayer money to religious schools. We talk about that case and the separation of church and state and so much more. CNN v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823502/cable-news-network-inc-v-trump/ Trump's new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, claims she's a lawyer. Is she? https://popular.info/p/trumps-new-press-secretary-katie DC Preservation League v. Department of Interior [Golf Course] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72278895/dc-preservation-league-v-department-of-interior J.M. Smucker Co. v. Trader Joe's https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71631587/jm-smucker-company-v-trader-joes-company/?order_by=desc Columbus City School District v. Ohio [10th District Ohio Court of Appeals] https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/10/2026/2026-Ohio-4047.pdf Ohio Constitution Art. VI, Sec. 2 https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-constitution/section-6.2 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: Trump's cronies on the Kennedy Center board have come up with a new reason to stonewall discovery in the lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty: executive privilege. A federal judge in Virginia dismissed the Trump DOJ's lawsuit challenging Virginia's law providing in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. Justice Sam Alito says you have to stop being so mean and buy his book. Bari Weiss's fake university in Texas wants to add a fake law school, and they're looking for a dean. Send in your blog post and let their AI agent read it! Election denying weirdos Cleta Mitchell and Tina Peters want Trump to seize the voting machines for "national security." DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Texas AG Ken Paxton has questions about kids' underpants. MAIN SHOW: The criminal case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn was dismissed, and now he's requesting that the inspectors general of both the Justice Department and the Department of Interior investigate how this abuse of prosecution happened. In Chicago, Marimar Martinez, was shot five times by CBP agents and then charged with assault with a deadly weapon. That case fell apart when it emerged that the agent was lying, and now Martinez has sued DHS under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The successor entity to Dominion Voting Systems is suing Patrick Byrne, AKA "the Overstock dot com weirdo," for defamation. Byrne is represented by Trump's former boarding school roommate, Peter Ticktin. Ticktin just accused Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, of obstructing justice in the case by enforcing a protective order. What is even happening???? Beatty v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72069932/beatty-v-trump/ US v. Commonwealth of Virginia [In-state tuition] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72085714/united-states-v-commonwealth-of-virginia/ Ken Paxton kids' underpants https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-launches-investigation-kids-clothing-companies-over-potential-presence Supreme Court Wannabes Head Search Committee For Bari Weiss University Law School Dean https://abovethelaw.com/2026/10/supreme-court-wannabes-head-search-committee-for-bari-weiss-university-law-school-dean/ Hearn IG Request https://www.democracydefendersfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/100626_DDF-Request-for-Concurrent-IG-Investigations-Hearn-Arrest-and-Prosecution.pdf Martinez v. US https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74919226/martinez-v-united-states/ Liberty Vote Holding v. Byrne [Dominion Voting Systems] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60120428/liberty-vote-holdings-inc-v-byrne/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

In Georgia, DOJ celebrates its 26th courtroom loss in the battle to steal state voter rolls. An Arizona appeals court overturned a manslaughter sentence because of an absolutely bonkers use of AI. A judge in DC Superior Court dismissed vandalism charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn with prejudice. The Justice Department filed an ethics complaint against almost every judge in the District of Minnesota for talking to the New York Times about what it was like to have their orders blatantly disregarded day after day. A judge in Washington ruled that the president has no power to fire US Attorneys installed by judges when there is an unfilled vacancy. The three hat dance is so back, baby! DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Revisionist historian Geoff Shepard, a former Nixon aide, is making the rounds at DOJ pitching his hot take: "Watergate As Lawfare." The WSJ reports that there's an appetite inside the Justice Department for the theory that all those guys who went to jail for Nixon were persecuted victims. MAIN SHOW: JGG v. Trump, the first major case where the Trump DOJ defied a court order, sending hundreds of men to CECOT in El Salvador, is back at the DC Circuit. This week, the entire court sitting en banc, heard oral argument on the issue of whether Judge James Boasberg has the power to do anything about flagrant contempt of his rulings. Audio here! SUBSCRIBER BONUS: The US Supreme Court, via a 6-3 shadow docket order, stayed two lower court rulings prohibiting the administration from deporting immigrants to third countries without due process, without notice or the opportunity to raise a credible fear or torture or persecution. The New York Times reported that the administration was unable to comply with the court's order to stop, so it immediately ran to the Supreme Court for help, which it got. US v. Raffensperger [Georgia voter rolls] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72193752/united-states-v-raffensperger/ Arizona court says judge wrongly allowed AI-generated victim video https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/arizona-court-says-judge-wrongly-allowed-ai-generated-victim-video-2026-09-30/ Hearn Dismissal Order https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28713072-hearn-dismissal/ Decades After Watergate, Justice Department Reviews Whether Nixon Got a Raw Deal https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/decades-after-watergate-justice-department-reviews-whether-nixon-got-a-raw-deal-8e25380f Rogoff v. Trump [Three hat dance] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73647676/rogoff-v-trump/ In re: Donald Trump / J.G.G. v. Trump [Oral argument audio] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A1BwFh_lYg In re: Donald Trump / J.G.G. v. Trump [DC Circuit docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72029089/in-re-donald-trump/ JGG v. Trump [District Court docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69741724/jgg-v-trump/?order_by=desc DHS v. D.V.D. [Supreme Court order; third country renditions] https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/092926zr2_1a7d.pdf DHS v. D.V.D. [1st Circuit order; third country renditions] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca1.53896/gov.uscourts.ca1.53896.00108510897.0.pdf D.V.D. v. DHS [trial court D. Mass. order; third country renditions] https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282404/gov.uscourts.mad.282404.242.0.pdf "Trump Administration Scrambles to Stop Third-Country Deportations After Court Ruling," New York Times, Sep. 24, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/politics/trump-third-country-deportations.html Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: ProPublica published a bombshell story about Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), who was allegedly the subject of an FBI corruption investigation until Trump killed it. The Department of Homeland Security is still looking for the vote fraud. In July, they announced that they found over 250,000 illegally-registered voters in four states. By August, that number declined to just under 16,000. And on a zoom call with local election officials in Nevada, it dropped to 185. But it's probably actually zero. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Governors Association filed a lawsuit to try and stop DHS and the FBI from sending armed guards to polling stations to intimidate voters. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Our doofus of the day is Sheri Mecklenburg, the veteran prosecutor who broke DOJ norms (and possibly the law) to get the indictment in the Broadview Six case. Mecklenburg moved to intervene as a party on the grounds that if she doesn't get to represent herself, her former boss is definitely going to continue to throw her under the bus. She's not wrong. MAIN SHOW: Donald Trump tried to ban MSNOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House press pool. He lost in front of one of his own appointees, as Judge Tim Kelly in DC entered a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to reinstate the previously-confiscated "hard passes" and let the reporters back in. In Missouri, the 8th Circuit continues to try and overrule both the US and Missouri state Supreme Courts by requiring the state to use a Trump-approved super-gerrymandered map from 2025 instead of the already very gerrymandered map already in place. We're waiting to see what Brett Kavanaugh will do. (The petitioners filed a truly excellent motion for clarification and reply brief.) SUBSCRIBER BONUS: Trump had his nonsense lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer dismissed in state court for failure to state a claim, because the news isn't a consumer product. It's a great ruling from a very conservative judge. The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way https://www.propublica.org/article/fbi-susan-collins-navatek-campaign-donations-investigation F.B.I. Shut Down Inquiry Into Top Ally of Senator Susan Collins https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/us/politics/fbi-susan-collins-donor.html Trump officials touted a voter fraud bombshell. Their data hasn't proved it [CNN] https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/markwayne-mullin-voter-fraud-nevada DSCC v. ICE [lawsuit to stop stationing armed guards at polling places; docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74842896/dscc-v-us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement/ US v. Rabbit [Chicago 6 sanctions; docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71795281/united-states-v-rabbitt/?order_by=desc CNN v. Trump [press passes in DC; docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823502/cable-news-network-inc-v-trump/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc People Not Politicians v. Onder [Supreme Court docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26a388.html Von Glahn v. Hoskins [Missouri Supreme Court Sep. 3, 2026 opinion] https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=239229 Missouri Supreme Court Sep. 10, 2026 contempt order https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=239429 Onder v. Missouri [8th Circuit docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74780310/congressman-robert-onder-v-state-of-missouri/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: This podcast won a victory today in its lawsuit against the Trump administration to kick loose the document the DOJ used as the basis for a frivolous ethics complaint against Judge James Boasberg in DC. Judge Abelson ordered the DOJ to produce discovery to us so we can evaluate the administration's claims that "Attachment A" isn't subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The hardware store Lowe's was hit with a consumer class action suit in Chicago alleging that it steals customers' voice prints when they call customer service. A lawyer in New Mexico has been sanctioned for filing motions referring to fake witnesses hallucinated by ChatGPT. In a murder case! DOOFUS OF THE DAY: John Eastman, the election-denying crank lawyer, is now representing Amy Wax. Wax is a notorious racist whom the University of Pennsylvania law school has been trying to fire for years. Eastman entered his appearance on her behalf at the Third Circuit, which is weird because he was disbarred in California last year. But not to worry, he's filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to undo that! MAIN SHOW: While we were recording, the Supreme Court finally rejected Trump's plan to use the Post office to blow up the midterms. on whether it intends to stay a judicial order enjoining the US Postal Service from meddling with mail-in ballots during the 2026 midterms, but each new development seems to make it less likely that it will do so. Late Sunday night, Trump appointee Judge Carl Nichols in Washington DC issued his own injunction blocking the rule and smacking down the administration's arguments. More details emerged over the weekend about the Grand Conspiracy investigation in Florida and why MAGA conspiracy lawyer Joe diGenova noped out. Apparently he didn't get the memo that the point was to indict a couple of Trump's enemies, declare victory, and be long gone before the charges imploded. Meanwhile, former CIA Director John Brennan has filed a lawsuit in DC seeking to head off his own prosecution. Trump's offer of $5,000 checks to every citizen if Republicans hold the House and the Senate isn't bribery. And it isn't going to happen. SUBSCRIBER BONUS: In a supplement to our written blog post, we talk about all the weirdness in the DOJ's "Notice of Appeal" in the Trump v. IRS slush fund case, including how the administration's lawyers sound an awful lot like sovereign citizen nutjobs. "Trump's DOJ Lawyers Leap In To Save Trump's Personal Lawyers" https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trumps-doj-lawyers-leap-in-to-save Res Ipsa Media v. DOJ [docket Via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71236135/res-ipsa-media-llc-v-department-of-justice/?order_by=desc Perkins v. Lowe's [Complaint via Courthouse News] https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lowes-class-action-biometric-information.pdf Attorney Sanctions Order [via Reuters] https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gkplemoznvb/New%20Mexico%20sanctions%20order%20-%20AI.pdf AFGE-AFL-CIO v. Kupor [Civil Service loyalty test] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71884278/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-kupor/ Eastman v. State Bar of California [Petition for Cert] https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/26/26-336/423876/20260911094527982_USSC%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf Trump ally John Eastman joins UPenn professor's legal team, citing 'despicable cancel culture' https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-ally-john-eastman-joins-upenn-professors-legal-team-citing-despicable-2026-09-14/ Trump v. League of Women Voters [Supreme Court docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26a305.html USPS Revised DMM [mail-in ballot regulations] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections DSCC v. Trump [DC mail-in ballot case injunction by Judge Nichols] https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2026cv1114-192 USPS v. California [Mail-in Ballots SCOTUS Docket] https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A305.html Brennan v. Blanche https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73562893/brennan-v-blanche/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: New Jersey became the latest state to beat back a Trump administration challenge to its sanctuary jurisdiction laws. After the Supreme Court's conservatives (less CJR) allowed Trump to build his ballroom, he's demanding to be able to go ahead and build the fascist arch. A federal judge in Minnesota denied X.ai's motion to enjoin the state from enforcing a law barring AI nudification apps. Maria Bartiromo hired Bryan Freedman, former counsel for Justin Baldoni, to represent her in her breakup with Fox. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is the subject of a report issued by Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito. Is it bad when you're sleeping with your staffer, drinking on the job, and allowing your male relatives to sexually harass employees? MAIN SHOW: The Los Angeles Angels just sold for $4 billion. What does the city of Anaheim want out of it and how are they going to get it? Finally, a country music star has just filed a class action lawsuit against the AI platform Suno for infringing on his right of publicity. When chatbots can write songs that sound exactly like any famous recording artist, can anyone sue to stop them? SUBSCRIBER BONUS: What is going on with Trump's effort to use the Post Office to bone the midterms? US v. New Jersey https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72316303/united-states-v-new-jersey/ Lemmon v. Trump [Arch] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72301112/lemmon-v-trump/ REPORT OF INVESTIGATION: LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER, FORMER SECRETARY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR https://oig.dol.gov/public/oifindings/50-26-004-01-001.pdf X.ai LLC v. Ellison https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73678486/xai-llc-v-ellison/ Lowery v. Suno [D. Mass. docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/74728439/lowery-v-suno-inc/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

The J. M. Smucker Company notched a win in its trademark dilution case against Trader Joe's over the Uncrustable dupes. A judge in Ohio refused to dismiss the case or transfer it to California. For the third time, Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected Trump's attempt to remove his hush money conviction case to federal court from New York State court. The Supreme Court allowed Trump to build his monstrous bunker ballroom. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: George Santos managed to get himself banned for life by Kalshi after he got caught better on his own attendance at the State of the Union. MAIN SHOW: Judge Rita Lin granted summary judgment to Anthropic in its case against the Defense Department. After the company objected to the use of its product for autonomous lethal targeting and mass surveillance of Americans, Pete Hegseth set out to destroy its business. He failed. Judge Indira Talwani refused to stay her own order blocking the Post Office from implementing Trump's demand to seize control of mail-in ballots. Prosecutors in Minnesota hope to criminalize protest by claiming that an entire network of people engaging in First Amendment-protected protest are responsible if one of them eventually commits a crime. Pursuant to a Trump directive known as NSPM-7, the DOJ instructed operatives to infiltrate and surveil affinity groups espousing "extreme viewpoints on immigration, radical gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment." None of which is a crime! They've charged 15 protesters in Minnesota as part of a conspiracy that includes major unions and the DSA — all of which they've snooped on using administrative warrants from DHS. SUBSCRIBER BONUS: A gestational surrogate from Alaska is trying to steal a sick baby. And Ken Paxton wants to help her do it! J.M. Smucker Co v. Trader Joe's https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71631587/jm-smucker-company-v-trader-joes-company/ People of The State of New York v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67326478/people-of-the-state-of-new-york-v-trump/ Anthropic PBC v. U.S. Department of War https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72379655/anthropic-pbc-v-us-department-of-war US v. Sant [D. Minn. docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73489661/united-states-v-sant/ National Park Service v. National Trust for Historic Preservation [Supreme Court order] https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a203_2b8e.pdf League of Women Voters v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump/? NSPM-7 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DESCRIPTION: It's a special episode today. We'll spend the whole show diving into the debacle of eBay, a $50 billion company, launching a harassment campaign against a middle-aged couple in Massachusetts. Come for the corporate bigwigs sending live roaches by mail, stay for the national security kerfuffle. It's a wild story, and it even has a happy ending. Steiner v. EBay https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60073359/steiner-v-ebay-inc US v. Baugh https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/18602070/united-states-v-baugh Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: The Supreme Court denied Trump's motion for rehearing in the first E. Jean Carroll case. Time to pay up, creep! Federal Judge Lynn Winmill invalidated Idaho's abortion ban insofar as it contains no exception to preserve the health of the pregnant person — including mental health. Along the way, he took apart the Supreme Court's hack historical analysis in Dobbs. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Josh Autenrieth, who bombed spectacularly on his first and only outing as an expert witness. During deposition, the plaintiffs lawyer Daniel Moye caught Autenreith fabricating his entire report exonerating 3M with the help of ChatGPT. Then Moye forced to testify for the plaintiffs at trial. On the stand Autenrieth discovered that there was a public link to all his chats live on the internet. Shout out to 404 Media for this wild story. MAIN SHOW: US Attorney Andrew Boutros in Chicago continues to embarrass himself and demean his office. The New York Times reports that his office has been harassing the family of Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump's false business records case in Manhattan. Merchan's daughter worked for a political firm in Illinois, and so Boutros decided he would use this as a lever to try to shake loose all kinds of political communications. And it turns out the same lawyers who worked on the Broadview 6 case, Matthew Skiba and William Hogan, had their prints all over this one. Luigi Mangione pled guilty in federal court to two counts of stalking. But he did so in such a way as to make it much harder for the state to prosecute him for murder. Was this done with the connivance of the feds to get back at Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg? Seyb v. Members of the Idaho Board of Medicine https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68527351/seyb-v-members-of-the-idaho-board-of-medicine/ 'Show How 3M Is 0% at Fault:' Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Write Report Defending Company in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit https://www.404media.co/show-how-3m-is-0-at-fault-expert-witness-used-chatgpt-to-write-report-defending-company-in-deadly-explosion-lawsuit/ Prosecutors Examined Firm With Tie to Judge in Trump Hush Money Trial https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/us/politics/prosecutors-examined-firm-with-tie-to-judge-in-trump-hush-money-trial.html US v. Mangione [federal court docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69908890/united-states-v-mangione/ Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty To Stalking, Admits To Murder Anyway, Argues This Makes Trial Double Jeopardy https://abovethelaw.com/2026/08/luigi-mangione-pleads-guilty-to-stalking-admits-to-murder-anyway-argues-this-makes-trial-double-jeopardy/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS: Todd Blanche was confirmed as permanent attorney general after Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy remembered that he's an unprincipled hack. Trump's lackey Will Scharf is being promoted from staff secretary to White House Counsel in advance of the midterms. The White House is once again trying to fire Federal Reserve Board Member Lisa Cook after the Supreme Court blocked it the first time. DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Senator Mike Lee, who vowed to block the Senate going into recess until it passed the SAVE America Act. He did not. Instead Majority Leader John Thune made him preside over the session, ensuring that he could not object. MAIN SHOW: On Friday, the DC Circuit affirmed the trial judge's order blocking Trump's tacky ballroom — at least the above-ground portion. The government tried to shield this project from judicial review by claiming that the Office of the Executive Residence, which manages floral arrangements and routine maintenance of the White House, was actually superintending the $600 million construction project. But the appeals court nixed it. The administration hopes to use a similar ONE WEIRD TRICK to slap white paint all over the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It claims that the project is being overseen by the White House Office of Administration, rather than the General Services Administration. TBD whether Judge Dabney Friedrich lets them get away with it. Airlines hate Skiplagged.com, which tells consumers how to save money by hopping off flights at the layover. They've failed to shut the site down using various tort claims, and so they tried copyright and trademark. SUBSCRIBER BONUS: After the Supreme Court blocked him in June, Trump is once again trying to end birthright citizenship by executive order. National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Park Service [DC Circuit Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73239730/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-v-nps National Trust for Historic Preservation v. National Park Service [Trial Docket] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72028010/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-in-the-united-states-v-national/ Cultural Heritage Partners v. Trump https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71918245/cultural-heritage-partners-pllc-v-trump/ American Airlines, Inc. v. Skiplagged, Inc. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67699985/american-airlines-inc-v-skiplagged-inc/ United Airlines' Contract of Carriage https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/contract-of-carriage.html Trump EO: "Ending Birth Tourism" https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/ending-birth-tourism/ Trump EO: "Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship" https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/continuing-to-protect-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

Andrew is flying solo today. He's got three stories about the petty incompetence of this administration. First, we start off with the likely impending confirmation of Todd Blanche as Attorney General after the DOJ finally put in writing that the $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization" slush fund is dead. The Trump tax giveaway is still alive, though, and that means so is Judge Williams's investigation as to whether the President committed a fraud on the court. Next, we delve into the unraveling of DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's ham-handed efforts to try and indict a former Olympian for vandalizing the Reflecting Pool in Washington. Turns out, the problem was the contractor all along. Who knew? (We all knew, including Pirro.) Finally, we take a look at a trio of motions filed by James Comey in his criminal case, all of which involve the central claim that the mafia uses the term "86" to mean "kill." Turns out, Comey secured an affidavit from the world's foremost expert on mafia code words, and he thinks that argument is "preposterous." How do all of these fundamental mistakes keep making their way into criminal indictments? Comey is the latest defendant who thinks prosecutors may not have been entirely candid with grand juries. Trump v. IRS [SDFL Docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72207870/trump-v-internal-revenue-service/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=asc US v. Comey [docket via CourtListener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73256624/united-states-v-comey/?order_by=desc John Gleeson affidavit https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nced.227449/gov.uscourts.nced.227449.40.3.pdf Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod