Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM

The media’s original sin

The media’s original sin One of the remnants of having grown up in New York in the 1980s is my continued addiction to reading the New York Post. Yes, it’s a tabloid. Yes, it has become a purveyor of right-wing propaganda. But reading it remains part of my daily routine. V…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM

DOJ accelerates hunt for voter fraud — with help from DOGE

DOJ accelerates hunt for voter fraud — with help from DOGE In a recent appearance on a right-wing podcast, Antonio Cracias, a billionaire investor and a top ally of Elon Musk, said the DOJ asked DOGE to find “10-20 cases” of alleged noncitizen voting in every state. View …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM

This week’s monsters and morons

This week’s monsters and morons Earlier this week, I found myself repeatedly asking whether Trump and his enablers were diabolically evil or just unbelievably ignorant and stupid. As I end the week, I am left wondering if it even matters. View in browser …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Florida’s fight over direct democracy

Dismantling the DOJ Voters are suing to stop a Florida law that makes it harder to participate in the  ballot initiative process. View in browser Friday, May 23 The mainstream press plays both sides — we play on …

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May 22, 2025 at 10:02 PM

Federal judge blocks Trump bid to dissolve Education Department

Federal judge blocks Trump bid to dissolve Education Department In a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s plan to shut down the U.S. Department of Education, a federal judge blocked the illegal attempt to bypass Congress and strip away critical services for students across the country. …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 22, 2025 at 11:16 AM

Trump’s DOJ gearing up to prosecute political opponents

Trump’s DOJ gearing up to prosecute political opponents A dangerous new Justice Department proposal would scrap long-standing rules to prevent political prosecutions of candidates and other political figures — furthering Trump’s bid to turn the DOJ into a tool of retribution. …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 21, 2025 at 10:41 PM

New Republican target: Mail ballot grace periods

New Republican target: Mail ballot grace periods Trump and the GOP have launched a new offensive in their long-running war on voting. Their latest target? Ballots that were postmarked by Election Day, but arrive after. View in browser …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 21, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Listen: Election denier Tina Peters shares conspiracies in voicemail from prison

Listen: Election denier Tina Peters shares conspiracies in voicemail from prison When former Mesa County clerk-turned-MAGA-hero Tina Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison by Colorado District Judge Matthew Barrett last October, he had some harsh words for her. “Your lies are well d…

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May 20, 2025 at 10:02 PM

Trump administration charges congresswoman over ICE oversight visit

Trump administration charges congresswoman over ICE oversight visit Federal prosecutors announced charges against Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) over a clash between lawmakers and ICE agents at a detention center near Newark earlier this month. View in browser …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 20, 2025 at 4:02 PM

The political prosecution of Rep. McIver is just the beginning

The political prosecution of Rep. McIver is just the beginning The weaponization of our government has officially begun. Ever since he won the 2024 election, I have predicted that it was only a matter of time before Donald Trump used the full powers of the federal government to target his…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 19, 2025 at 10:03 PM

Victory in Michigan and against DOGE

Victory in Michigan and against DOGE SCOTUS declined to take a case from Michigan GOP lawmakers who used the radical independent state legislature theory to challenge two voter-approved pro-voting amendments to the Michigan Constitution. View in browser …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 19, 2025 at 4:32 PM

Democracy’s survival depends on our willingness to fight

Democracy’s survival depends on our willingness to fight Trump wants to be a dictator, and not just for one day. Since he stepped back into the Oval Office, nearly every day brings new examples of Trump’s commitment to authoritarianism and obsession with election denialism and subversion.…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 17, 2025 at 11:01 AM

Weekend reading list: Fair fighting in Georgia

Weekend reading list: Fair fighting in Georgia This week began with the news that Donald Trump planned to accept a $400 million dollar luxury jet from Qatar, and it ended with the Supreme Court ruling 7-2 against his efforts to send migrants to foreign gulags without due process. As Repu…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 16, 2025 at 10:03 PM

SCOTUS says Trump violated Venezuelan migrants’ rights with attempted removals

SCOTUS says Trump violated Venezuelan migrants’ rights with attempted removals The Supreme Court in a 7-2 ruling Friday said the Trump administration violated the due process rights of Venezuelan migrants in its rushed effort to remove them from the U.S. last month using the Alien Enemies…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM

A frustrating week for democracy

A frustrating week for democracy This week, frustrations were boiling over in politics and court. Republicans in Congress were frustrated with each other for failing to pass a budget bill. Democrats were frustrated that the GOP is intent on cutting taxes for billionaires and services for …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 16, 2025 at 11:03 AM

Dismantling the DOJ

Dismantling the DOJ Only an estimated three attorneys are left on the team that enforces U.S. voting rights law. The DOJ is still involved in at least 29 voting rights or redistricting cases across 18 states, according to Democracy Docket’s litigation tracker. View in bro…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM

SCOTUS mulls limiting judges’ authority to block Trump’s power grab

SCOTUS mulls limiting judges’ authority to block Trump’s power grab SCOTUS heard oral argument in the birthright citizenship case that could greatly limit federal judges' ability to block Trump from expanding presidential powers. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson described the government's st…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 15, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Trump’s power grab is metastasizing

Trump’s power grab is metastasizing Trump is attempting to assert control over Congress by taking over its library. By firing the librarian of Congress and installing his former defense lawyer in her place, Trump may be asserting that the Library of Congress is part of the executive branc…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 14, 2025 at 10:02 PM

New ruling cuts off key tool to protect minority voters

New ruling cuts off key tool to protect minority voters The 8th Circuit severed a key avenue for private groups and individuals to bring racial discrimination claims under the Voting Rights Act, further weakening the landmark law’s ability to protect voters across seven states. …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM

Why you’ve been hearing from me more often

Why you’ve been hearing from me more often You may have noticed that you’ve been hearing from me a lot lately. In the past seven days, I’ve written something for Democracy Docket every single day. That wasn’t my plan. Back in 2020, I was a lawyer fighting for voting rights and democracy i…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 14, 2025 at 11:03 AM

Right-wing groups are reigniting their anti-voting efforts

Right-wing groups are reigniting their anti-voting efforts Throughout the 2024 election season, a host of right-wing anti-voting groups worked tirelessly to disenfranchise voters. The groups spread disinformation about noncitizen voting, rehashed familiar conspiracy theories about mass vo…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM

Judges could crack down on anti-voting group’s mass voter challenges 

Judges could crack down on anti-voting group’s mass voter challenges At a hearing today, a federal appeals court appeared open to protecting voters by reversing a lower court ruling that dismissed a pro-voting lawsuit targeting mass voter challenges in Georgia. View in b…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 13, 2025 at 11:02 AM

5 reasons why law firm deals with Trump may damage their businesses

5 reasons why law firm deals with Trump may damage their businesses It has been two months since Donald Trump began targeting law firms with illegal and unconstitutional executive orders. My former law firm, Perkins Coie, was the first to be targeted on March 6. Six days later, a federal …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 12, 2025 at 10:29 PM

Corrected: DOJ voting section has just three lawyers left, watchdog estimates

DOJ voting section has just three lawyers left, watchdog estimates The number of attorneys in the DOJ’s voting section dropped from 30 to three, according to one group’s estimate provided to Democracy Docket. It came amid reports that the department will no longer work to protect voting r…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM

DOJ has just three lawyers left, watchdog estimates

DOJ has just three lawyers left, watchdog estimates The number of attorneys in the DOJ’s voting section dropped from 30 to three, according to one group’s estimate provided to Democracy Docket. It came amid reports that the department will no longer work to protect voting rights. …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM

Will the Supreme Court rein in Trump’s excesses? Here’s my answer.

Will the Supreme Court rein in Trump’s excesses? Here’s my answer. I know I promised I wouldn’t send you emails on Mondays unless there was news, but there was something I was thinking about all weekend that I wanted to share. Shortly after Donald Trump took office, someone asked me if th…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 11, 2025 at 1:52 PM

Justice Sotomayor’s message to lawyers: Stand up, fight and win

Judge’s footnote and warning to Trump’s Big Law collaborators Justice Sonia Sotomayor is not one to hide her feelings. A plainspoken New Yorker, she is known as a tough questioner who challenges lawyers who appear before the Supreme Court on their assumptions and the consequences of the l…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM

6 lawsuits you should know about

6 lawsuits you should know about Once again Trump’s latest outrages dominated the news this week. Add in the selection of a new Pope, and there was little room for much else. Yet, across the country, there were six new lawsuits filed to protect voters. Most of which were brought in states…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 9, 2025 at 10:01 PM

Trump administration proposes more drastic election security cuts

Trump administration proposes more drastic election security cuts The Trump administration introduced a new budget proposal calling for a near $500 million cut to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the nation’s top federal entity responsible for protecting elections fro…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 9, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Republicans had a terrible week in court

Republicans had a terrible week in court Last Friday, Republicans suffered two major legal defeats in Pennsylvania. A trial court dismissed a right-wing lawsuit seeking to purge hundreds of thousands of voters, while the Third Circuit rejected a motion to block a lower court’s decision re…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 9, 2025 at 11:03 AM

Unpacking the big win for voters in North Carolina

Unpacking the big win for voters in North Carolina After six agonizing months of legal pingponging between state and federal courts, the GOP bid to steal a North Carolina’s Supreme Court seat has failed. On Monday, a federal court ordered the state to certify Democratic Justice Allison Ri…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 8, 2025 at 10:03 PM

Trump judges blast Alabama for racially discriminatory congressional map

Trump judges blast Alabama for racially discriminatory congressional map In a win for voters, a three-judge panel with two Trump appointees ruled that Alabama’s 2023 congressional map is unconstitutional and violates the VRA, calling it “an intentional effort to dilute Black Alabamians’ v…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 8, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Trump’s bid to bypass immigration courts is crumbling

Trump’s bid to bypass immigration courts is crumbling Trump’s mounting hostility toward the rule of law and fundamental democratic principles comes as his attempt to use the Alien Enemies Act to bypass immigration courts is crumbling in the legal realm and the real world. …

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May 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM

It’s over! Republican concedes in North Carolina Supreme Court race

It’s over! Republican concedes in North Carolina Supreme Court race Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court race to Democrat Allison Riggs, ending his six-month legal battle to overturn the election. View in browser …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM

We have more power than Trump wants us to believe 

We have more power than Trump wants us to believe The messages have been loud and clear: You are worried about the future. You are frustrated that more is not being done. We are all angry that so few will stand up and fight. View in browser …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 7, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Why former DOJ staffers are worried about the future of its voting section

Why former DOJ staffers are worried about the future of its voting section Ever since reports emerged about some major changes to the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division — and in particular, its voting section — I’ve been speaking with former DOJ attorneys to help put into …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 6, 2025 at 10:05 PM

DOJ won’t appeal order against Trump’s anti-voting decree

DOJ won’t appeal order against Trump’s anti-voting decree Court filings revealed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not appeal a judge’s order blocking part of President Donald Trump’s election order that imposed a documentary proof of citizenship requirement when registering to vo…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 6, 2025 at 6:32 PM

The Republicans’ latest Supreme Court gambit

The Republicans’ latest Supreme Court gambit It’s only Tuesday, and already this week Donald Trump has said he doesn’t know if, as president, he must uphold the U.S. Constitution and has suggested imposing tariffs on movies. One reason it’s difficult to cover politics and the courts in th…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 5, 2025 at 10:05 PM

New lawsuit blasts Indiana for banning student IDs at the polls

New lawsuit blasts Indiana for banning student IDs at the polls Last month, Indiana passed a law removing student ID cards as an accepted form of voter ID. A new lawsuit challenging the move calls it “a surgical attack on young voters.” View in browser …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM

My time on 60 Minutes and why I refuse to stay silent

My time on 60 Minutes and why I refuse to stay silent I have been fighting Donald Trump nonstop for a decade. I officially became general counsel to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign on April 12, 2015. A month later, on June 16, Trump announced his campaign. View in browser…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 4, 2025 at 11:00 AM

Judge’s footnote and warning to Trump’s Big Law collaborators

Judge’s footnote and warning to Trump’s Big Law collaborators Every so often a judge will use a footnote to speak directly to the broader public. It’s the judicial equivalent of an actor breaking the fourth wall — the imaginary barrier that separates performers from the audience. …

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 3, 2025 at 11:32 AM

My final word on Trump’s 100 days

My final word on Trump’s 100 days For months, I have argued relentlessly that judging Donald Trump by the usual standards of a typical American presidency is inadequate for the moment we face. Just yesterday, I wrote: “There’s no magic to 100 days. The challenges Trump poses to our countr…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 2, 2025 at 10:03 PM

A double win for Pennsylvania voters

A double win for Pennsylvania voters In two victories for Pennsylvania voters, one judge dismissed a far-right challenge seeking to purge over 277,000 voters from the rolls, and a federal appeals court rejected a GOP bid to disqualify ballots for minor errors. View in bro…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 2, 2025 at 4:04 PM

There’s no magic to 100 days

There’s no magic to 100 days The greatest risk of the Trump era is the resetting of what we expect from our leaders. Most dangerous, of course, is the redefinition of the presidency — from a position of honor and trust to one of retribution and corruption. View in browser…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 2, 2025 at 11:12 AM

Is an independent elections panel boosting Trump’s war on voting?

Is an independent elections panel boosting Trump’s war on voting? The U.S. Election Assistance Commission was designed to be bipartisan and independent from presidential control. Now, is it putting a thumb on the scale for Trump’s agenda? View in browser …

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 1, 2025 at 10:01 PM

GOP gains majority on North Carolina election board

GOP gains majority on North Carolina election board North Carolina auditor Dave Boliek (R) appointed a GOP majority to the State Board of Elections after an appeals court allowed a law that took away appointment power from Gov. Josh Stein (D) to take effect. The move could boost the Repub…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 1, 2025 at 6:52 PM

Join us live tonight at 7 p.m. ET — Trump’s first 100 days

Join us live tonight at 7 p.m. ET — Trump’s first 100 days This week, Donald Trump passed his 100th day in office. Tonight, we mark that occasion with a critical discussion about the growing risks to our democracy. Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias will lead a live discussion on the fou…

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  Marc Elias · [email protected]

May 1, 2025 at 4:32 PM

One assumption about Trump that is making a bad situation worse

One assumption about Trump that is making a bad situation worse If there is one thing that is clear from Donald Trump’s first 100 days, it is that he is not a regular president. But the courts continue to treat him as one, which is what has us barreling towards a full-blown constitutional…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

May 1, 2025 at 11:31 AM

Trump’s next 1,360 days will hinge on dissent and the courts

Trump’s next 1,360 days will hinge on dissent and the courts The years ahead will largely be shaped by whether organized opposition refuses to back down in the face of clear threats of retribution and retaliation, and by whether federal courts and the states continue to check Trump’s purs…

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  Democracy Docket · [email protected]

April 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM

Trump’s DOJ to focus on voter fraud, not voting rights

Trump’s DOJ to focus on voter fraud, not voting rights The Justice Department is quietly dismantling its voting section and redirecting it to target voter fraud, marking an alarming departure from the unit’s longstanding purpose of protecting ballot access. View in browse…

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