Dear listeners,
Eric Swalwell’s campaign for California governor flamed out spectacularly over the weekend, and now prosecutors in Manhattan and Los Angeles are looking into sexual assault allegations against the now-former congressman. Meanwhile, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro — who oversees local felony prosecutions in the District of Columbia — has set up a hotline for victims who may have been assaulted by Swalwell there. And, a succession of lawyers for Swalwell have gone on the offensive, sending out cease-and-desist letters and attacking his accusers as politically motivated and dishonest.
Besides looking into Swalwell, Pirro sent a couple of her henchpersons to the under-construction Federal Reserve headquarters looking for … something. An “I personally ordered the cost overruns” note from Jay Powell? We’re not sure, and probably neither were they — going to the crime scene is not something AUSAs do, as Ken notes from his own rueful experience of being denied an all-expenses paid trip to the Inland Empire, and the stunt seems only to have strengthened the resolve of Sen. Thom Tillis to block any confirmations of Trump Fed nominees.
That’s on this week’s show plus, for paying subscribers:
Trump moves to vacate convictions of Oath Keeper and Proud Boy January 6 defendants whose convictions he’d previously chosen not to pardon;
A panel of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals again frustrates James Boasberg’s investigation into non-compliance with his orders about deportations;
Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal is dismissed for failure to plead actual malice;
The Pentagon continues to try to avoid complying with an order to reinstate reporters’ access;
Bill Essayli loses yet another case against immigration protesters; and
A lesson on aesthetic standing (and how not to use AI!) from the Tiger King.
We hope you enjoy the episode,
Josh
