S2 Ep156: Kash Patel's Lawsuit Could Backfire—BIG TIME (w/ Andrew Weissmann)

S2 Ep156: Kash Patel's Lawsuit Could Backfire—BIG TIME (w/ Andrew Weissmann)

From The Illegal News with Sarah Longwell by The Bulwark

April 23, 2026 · 59 min · Season 2 · Episode 156

About this episode

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss significant legal developments and their implications for the DOJ and related entities.

Sarah Longwell and Andrew Weissmann discuss a series of major legal developments—from a questionable DOJ indictment targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center, to Kash Patel’s high-risk lawsuit against The Atlantic, to a wave of firings inside the Justice Department that’s raising alarms. They explain what’s actually in these cases (and what’s missing), why some of the legal theories fall apart under scrutiny, and what it all signals about the direction of the DOJ. Plus: a major ruling on Trump’s January 6 liability—and whether taxpayers could end up footing the bill. Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/illegalnews with code illegalnews. Buy Andrew Weissmann’s book, Liar’s Kingdom! Use code Liar15 at checkout to receive 15% off and a signed bookplate from Andrew Weissmann. Offer expires 5/19/26 — https://bookshop.org/a/2344/9780316601306

People in this episode

Host: Sarah Longwell

Guest: Andrew Weissmann

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

Boll & Branch, Andrew Weissmann’s book

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Southern Poverty Law Center, The Atlantic, Justice Department

Products: Boll & Branch, Liar’s Kingdom

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