Law and Chaos

DOCKET ALERTS:
Maryland became the ninth state to beat back a lawsuit from the DOJ's Civil Division seeking to seize its full, unredacted voter rolls.
 
In Massachusetts, a judge allowed states to proceed with a lawsuit to block an executive order requiring DHS to maintain a master list of voters and barring USPS from delivering mail-in ballots from anyone on the list. 
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar, who was featured in a Bloomberg Law story about judges embarrassing themselves by trying to get nominated for SCOTUS if/when Justice Alito announces his retirement in July. Thapar, who is 56, started a Substack to talk about how his fitness regimen means he's really only 43.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
In Minnesota, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz quashed DOJ subpoenas for Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, AG Keith Ellison, and several other state officials. The court held that the subpoenas were plainly levied for an improper purpose, namely to punish state officials for refusing to cooperate with Trump's immigration raids. That's a violation of the Tenth Amendment.
 
Also in Minnesota, charges were dropped against yet another protester from the winter immigration surge into the Twin Cities. ICE/CBP conduct here was egregious, and the US Attorney claims to be investigating.
 
Since the satirical newspaper The Onion is planning to launch an InfoWars parody on July 2, we revisit all of the bankruptcy court shenanigans to date and talk about what might happen next in court.
 
Finally, we check in on the Trump insurrectionist slush fund and the administration's continued refusal to actually promise in court, under oath, that it won't resurrect the idea. In the Eastern District of Virginia, the administration simply refused to file declarations ordered by the presiding judge. And in the original lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS in Florida, 35 eminent judges filed their reply brief urging the judge to reopen the case and inspect the settlement.
 
In the Subscriber Bonus, we break down a lawsuit filed by the Ford Motor Company against a law firm in California that has an… aggressive approach to trying to get its attorneys' fees reimbursed for representing consumers who get their cars replaced under the state's "Lemon Law."
 
US v. DeMarinis [Maryland voter rolls]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71980724/united-states-v-demarinis/
 
League of Women Voters v. Trump [Mail-in ballot EO]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73133197/league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-v-trump/
 
In re Subpoenas [MN subpoenas quashed]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73512670/in-re-subpoenas/
 
US v. Johnson [MN protester, charges dropped]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72200628/united-states-v-johnson/
 
Judges Jockey for Potential Trump Supreme Court Appointment
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/judges-jockey-for-potential-trump-supreme-court-appointment
 
Floyd v. DOJ [lawsuit challenging Slush Fund; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73383692/floyd-v-department-of-justice/
 
Trump v. IRS [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation/?order_by=desc
 
Ford Motor Company v. Quill & Arrow LLP [fee-shifting in Lemon Law cases; docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73503023/ford-motor-company-v-quill-arrow-llp/



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BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville is facing a residency challenge to his gubernatorial campaign.
 
The Justice Department dismissed a case seeking to enforce a moratorium on offshore and onshore windfarm permits. Instead they're buying back leases for windfarms, so that energy companies can develop natural gas plants in the midwest. Murica!
 
The DOJ is trying to take advantage of a half-assed plot to attack Trump's UFC to get the court to let him build his ballroom. 
 
Doofus of the Day: Covid denier Alex Berenson, who got a $150,000 payout from the Trump administration because he got booted from Twitter in 2021.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
It was an opinion day at SCOTUS, and every decision was authored by a bizarre coalition of justices. Of most interest was US v. Hemani, in which the Court held that regular marijuana use cannot be a reason to deny Americans the right to own a gun.
 
The US Attorneys Office in Minnesota announced conspiracy charges against protesters of the immigration surge into Minneapolis earlier this year. Like the Broadview 6 case, it's a transparent attempt to criminalize activities protected by the First Amendment and impose collective punishment on opponents of the administration's policies.
 
The Federal Trade Commission sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in Texas, alleging that its Standards of Care document (SOC-8) violates Section 5 of the FTC Act.
 
SUBSCRIBERS: No FISA for you! Trump just blew up the deal to get FISA reauthorized and his new Director of National Intelligence confirmed.
 
Tuberville Residency Challenge [via ALReporter]
https://www.alreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tuberville-Filings.pdf
 
US v. Hemani [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1234_g2bh.pdf
 
Hunter v. US [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1063_5ifl.pdf
 
T.M. v. Univ. of Maryland Medical System [Supreme Court]
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-197_bp7c.pdf
 
US v. Sant [MN protesters]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73489496/united-states-v-sant
 
FTC v. WPATH [docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.421590/
 
WPATH SOC-8
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644
 
HHS's "Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices."
https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report.pdf



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BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
The Supreme Court issued orders today, opinions coming Thursday.
 
The Wall Street Journal reports that Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for DC, is investigating banks for "debanking" conservatives. 
 
Judge James Boasberg benchslapped Pirro's effort to magic away his order quashing her abusive subpoena on the Federal Reserve.
 
DOOFUS OF THE DAY: A judge in Mississippi disqualified all the lawyers in a case after finding that both sides cited fake cases hallucinated by AI.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
The battle over the Kennedy Center continues. At the eleventh hour, the Center's Board appealed the order to take Trump's name off the building, citing a new rule that would strip all funding from the institution if Trump's name came down. The trial judge denied the requested stay, and so did the Circuit Court. Meanwhile, the Washington National Opera is suing the Kennedy Center for expropriating its $17 million endowment.
 
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from implementing the Anti-Weaponization Fund whether under a new name or not.
 
New reporting from Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan in the New York Times reveals two revealing memos from White House advisor Will Scharf on suspending the writ of habeas corpus and the Insurrection Act.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS:
 
A federal judge in Massachusetts blocked Texas AG Ken Paxton's investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, holding that it was plainly retaliatory for its support for his Democratic Senate rival James Talarico.
 
SCOTUS Orders List June 15
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/061526zor_5if6.pdf
 
Jeanine Pirro's Prosecutors Probe Big Banks for Alleged 'Debanking'
https://www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/jeanine-pirros-prosecutors-probe-big-banks-for-alleged-debanking-13568e9b
 
Powell/Fed Reserve Subpoenas
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72490330/in-re-grand-jury-subpoenas
 
ActBlue v. Paxton
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73285205/actblue-llc-v-paxton/
 
Washington National Opera v. US
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73476333/washington-national-opera-v-united-states/
 
Beatty v. Trump [DC Circuit]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73477160/joyce-beatty-v-donald-trump
 
Withers v. City of Aberdeen [AI Attorney Sanctions]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69485760/withers-v-city-of-aberdeen
 
Floyd v. DOJ [docket via CourtListener]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73383692/floyd-v-department-of-justice/?order_by=desc
 
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan,"Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right," New York Times, June 15, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/us/politics/trump-scharf-habeas-corpus-insurrection-act.html
 
Will Scharf Habeas Corpus memo
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/2afc51a03e41c257/7f0f0dff-full.pdf
 
Will Scharf Insurrection Act memo
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/ab7a26e5d4b63268/402f052f-full.pdf
 
Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
Will Trump's name come off the Kennedy Center in time for the court-ordered deadline?
 
New York congressional candidate Brad Lander was acquitted of charges related to a peaceful protest inside the federal building where ICE is warehousing immigrants.
 
The House failed to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. We'll explain what this has to do with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte.
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
Doofus of the Day Alejandro Brito, Trump's lawyer on the defamation trollsuit against the BBC, is inventing new ways to piss off the judge. But he's teaching us a lot about CivPro!
 
The grand jury transcripts are here in the Broadview 6 case, and they are somehow even worse than we expected. We'll break down all the vouching/ex parte/voir dire action, and the rapidly expanding blast radius. 
 
SUBSCRIBERS:
 
Is the Trump slush fund alive or dead? Acting AG Todd Blanche says it's over, but he won't put it in writing.
 
US v. Rabbitt
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71795281/united-states-v-rabbitt/
 
Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic, "Trump Isn't Giving Up on His Slush Fund"
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/06/trump-anti-weaponization-fund/687500/
 
'Broadview 6' repeat? Loretto Hospital exec's fraud case could crumble amid claims of prosecutors' misconduct
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/10/hearing-in-loretto-hospital-case-could-address-claims-of-prosecutors-misconduct-if-feds-dont-drop-it
 
Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod

DOCKET ALERTS:
 
Doofus of the Day: George Santos, who is clearly trying to get himself back into jail. NPR reported that the former congressman bet against his own appearance at the State of the Union in February. After NPR reported that Kalshi had frozen his accounts and referred him to the CFTC and DOJ, Santos called up journalist Bobby Allyn and threatened him with "a gun in your face."
 
Also seeking a pardon: Sam Bankman-Fried.
 
Judge Leo Sorokin in Massachusetts blocked Trump's attempt to tax H-1B visas out of existence by imposing a $100,000 "fee."
 
MAIN SHOW:
 
Trump's lawyer Alejandro Brito is finding new and creative ways to piss off the judge in Trump's trollsuit against the BBC.
 
The DOJ is broken! Today's examples include: The DOJ telling the DC Circuit that it would be just fine for Trump to bulldoze the Statue of Liberty. A judge in Rhode Island referring DOJ lawyers for attorney discipline and sanctions. And a story from the New York Times about all the prosecutors who got pushed out because they wouldn't indict Trump's enemies.
 
Plaintiffs are trying to stop Donald Trump from hosting a UFC fight on the White House lawn.
 
SUBSCRIBER BONUS: The Department of Defense reduced the number of recognized religious faiths from 211 to 31 — they kept all the good non-woke ones, it's fine.



I wrote about George Santos. Then he made a violent threat and lied about it
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/04/nx-s1-5846966/george-santos-kalshi-threats
 
California v. Noem [H-1B visas]
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72031571/state-of-california-v-noem/
 
Trump v. BBC
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72040010/trump-v-british-broadcasting-corporation
 
How the Drive to Find a Conspiracy Against Trump Rocked the Justice Dept.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/us/politics/justice-department-trump-patel-conspiracy.html
 
Douglas v. National Park Service (UFC) [docket via CourtListener]
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217/gov.uscourts.dcd.293217.3.1.pdf
 
Forbes, "Trump Says UFC Arena Could Be Permanent At White House—Everything We Know About The Upcoming Event" 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/06/04/trump-says-ufc-arena-could-be-permanent-at-white-house-everything-we-know-about-the-upcoming-event/
 
Pete Hegseth on the chaplain corps
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4444113/hegseth-announces-reforms-to-chaplain-corps/
 
Sean Parnell announcement re: DOD religious codes [via X.com]
https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2062964159222874227
 
Pew Research Center Religious Landscape Study
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-executive-summary/
 
Military.com, "DOD Officially Drops 180 Faiths From Military's Recognized Religion List"
https://www.military.com/dod-officially-drops-180-faiths-from-militarys-recognized-religion-list
 
Show Links:
https://www.lawandchaospod.com/
BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod
Threads: @LawAndChaosPod
Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod