Here’s the highlight reel of the past week’s posts and events.
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| Here’s the highlight reel of the past week’s posts and events. Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to catch up on anything you may have missed. The Week Ahead: Ghislaine Maxwell took the Fifth and declined to testify before Congress, as we predicted she would in this piece. She offered to tell all (she’s already promised it doesn’t incriminate Trump) in exchange for a sentence commutation. We discussed the other two Congressional hearings we discussed here, involving ICE and Bondi, later in the week, after they happened. But there’s not a lot to say when a witness takes the Fifth. In Maxwell’s case, it does speak to what we should make of DOJ’s failure to fully release the files. I included a clip from my conversation on Coffee with the Contrarians here. My view is that at some point (and we are well past it), DOJ’s repeated mistakes, like the failure to redact the survivor's name while redacting names of the powerful men involved, suggest that it’s intentional. Live with Jay Inslee, Former Washington State Governor: Can Trump be prevented from using ICE agents at the polls during the election? Former Governor Jay Inslee assessed how realistic the concerns are and what he thinks Congress needs to do about it. Fulton County: What’s In The Warrant?: The search warrant affidavit that permitted the Trump administration to seize ballots and other election-related materials in Fulton County was unsealed. Missing: Probable cause to support the search, leaving open questions as to why the FBI sought it, why a U.S. Attorney agreed to it, and why a judge signed off on it. Live With Jim Acosta: We discussed some of the most important stories of the week. Live With Pramila Jayapal: Congresswoman Jayapal shared her discovery that AG Bondi’s “burn book,” the binder she took in to her oversight hearing, included a list of the Congresswoman’s searches in the Epstein Files. That surveillance of the legislative branch by the executive branch touched off a furor by the end of the day. As shocking as it is, there was also the Attorney General’s rude, dismissive behavior toward the survivors of Epstein’s crimes, which we also discussed. Two Days On The Hill: ICE & Pam Bondi: The acting Director of ICE was chastised by New York Congressman Dan Goldman, “If you don’t want to be called a fascist regime or secret police, then stop acting like one.” Pam Bondi’s testimony made it clear she works for Donald Trump, not the American people. These oversight hearings are important. They force government employees to show their true colors. Voting: A Right, Not A Privilege, For Now: We discussed the SAVE Act last April. Americans stood up to Donald Trump and bombarded their Senators with their concerns, compelling them to reject the Act given widespread opposition. Now it’s being pushed again, and it’s time for us to prevent its passage again. Judge Boasberg’s Most Recent Decision: Judge Boasberg’s order in the case challenging the Trump administration’s deportation of Venezuelan men to El Salvador’s CECOT prison holds the government accountable and requires it to do the right thing—give the men notice and an opportunity to be heard on the legality of their deportation, even though it comes at this late date with many of them already deported. The Judge writes, “It is worth emphasizing that this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them.” An Agenda of Joy: The Civil Discourse community’s thoughts on how we take care of ourselves, so we can successfully run this essential marathon for democracy.
These are complicated legal times, and it’s easy for the truth to get lost in the chaos. Civil Discourse doesn’t just track today’s headlines—it connects them to the legal and political history that explains why they matter. We won’t forget what’s at stake, or let Trump and his allies rewrite the past. You can subscribe to Civil Discourse for free and get clear analysis that helps you see the whole picture, delivered straight to your inbox. If you’re in a position to, your paid subscription helps me devote the time and resources it takes to write the newsletter. That means everyone has access to information they can share with friends and family—a constructive act we can all participate in right now, helping more Americans understand how critical this moment is. We’re in this together, Joyce Share | |
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