Election Law

Judge strikes down Kansas voter ID law and orders Kris Kobach to take additional CLE

A federal judge has struck down Kansas’ voter ID law and ordered Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to take additional continuing legal education classes for “repeated and flagrant violations” of federal rules requiring disclosure of evidence before trial.

Jun 19, 2018 9:15 AM CDT

Supreme Court doesn’t reach the merits in 2 partisan gerrymandering cases

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday returned two cases to the lower courts that had contended it is unconstitutional to redraw voting district lines to give an advantage to a political party.

Jun 18, 2018 9:56 AM CDT

NY lawsuit alleges Trump used his foundation’s assets to pay legal obligations, promote hotels

The New York attorney general’s office announced Thursday that it is alleging illegal conduct by the Donald J. Trump Foundation in a lawsuit that also names as defendants the president and his three oldest children. The suit alleges Trump used the foundation’s charitable assets to pay off legal obligations, promote…

Jun 14, 2018 10:35 AM CDT

Supreme Court strikes down Minnesota’s broad ban on political apparel at polling places

Minnesota’s broad ban on political badges, buttons and insignia at polling places violates the First Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a 7-2 opinion.

Jun 14, 2018 9:32 AM CDT

Supreme Court rules Ohio’s voter purge didn’t violate federal law

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Ohio’s procedure for purging inactive voters.

The court ruled 5-4 that Ohio's procedure comports with federal voting law. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the majority opinion. The court's four liberal justices dissented.

Jun 11, 2018 9:20 AM CDT

Trump pardons conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza; are Martha Stewart and Rod Blagojevich next?

Updated: President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that he will pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to using straw donors to make campaign contributions to a Republican Senate candidate.

May 31, 2018 10:28 AM CDT

Did Reed Smith partner hang up on prosecutor for special counsel? Tensions erupt at hearing

A Reed Smith partner representing a Russian company in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe took offense in a court hearing on Wednesday when a prosecutor said he hung up about nine minutes into what was supposed to be an hour-long meet-and-confer phone call. Partner Eric Dubelier said the claim by…

May 17, 2018 7:05 AM CDT

Trump confirms he reimbursed Cohen for Stormy Daniels payment; was it a campaign finance violation?

President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that he reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels under a confidentiality agreement, while stressing that campaign money was not used.

May 3, 2018 9:02 AM CDT

DNC suit alleges Trump campaign was a racketeering enterprise participating in hacking conspiracy

The Democratic National Committee filed a racketeering lawsuit Friday against the Trump campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks and a host of other defendants that claims a conspiracy to hack into DNC emails and denigrate Hillary Clinton.

Apr 20, 2018 11:26 AM CDT

Kris Kobach is held in contempt for failing to tell some would-be voters of eligibility

A federal judge has held Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in contempt of court for failing to follow court orders after she barred enforcement of a law that required proof of citizenship when people registered to vote. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson of Kansas City, Kansas, held Kobach in…

Apr 19, 2018 9:34 AM CDT

Supreme Court won’t hear appeal by former Illinois governor Blagojevich

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is serving a 14-year sentence for political corruption.

It is the second time the court declined to grant cert to Blagojevich, report the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago-Sun Times.

Apr 16, 2018 9:06 AM CDT

FBI reportedly sought records on ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, Trump communications in Michael Cohen raid

Updated: FBI agents who raided the office and temporary home of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Monday reportedly sought records related to an Access Hollywood tape in which Trump was heard making vulgar comments about women to a reporter.

Apr 11, 2018 2:41 PM CDT

Federal judge scolds Florida for ‘fit of histrionics’ over restoration of felons’ voting rights

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker was thoroughly unpersuaded by Florida officials’ request for a stay of his order requiring the state to create new rules for the restoration of voting rights of felons by April 26. Florida officials “fall woefully short” of the burden required of a stay in a…

Apr 6, 2018 11:22 AM CDT

Will Supreme Court issue ‘non-opinion’ in partisan gerrymandering case?

U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared troubled by partisan gerrymandering allegations in oral arguments Wednesday, but they did not appear to have a plan to address the problem.

Mar 29, 2018 8:59 AM CDT

California suit says census citizenship question violates enumeration clause

Some state attorneys general reacted quickly after the Trump administration announced late Monday that it was adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a federal lawsuit Monday night and linked to a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed he co-wrote that called the idea of…

Mar 27, 2018 11:37 AM CDT