Ep 219 — DOJ In Disarray

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Summary <p>Judge Brian Murphy <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.294783/gov.uscourts.mad.294783.56.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blocked</a> termination of TPS for 5,000 Ethiopians.</p><p><br></p><p>DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin will <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mullin-weighs-using-airport-customs-leverage-against-sanctuary-cities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">continue</a> Noem’s tradition of announcing his intention to violate the law in advance, so as to give litigants a heads up.</p><p><br></p><p>Michael Avenatti moves to a halfway house, remains a full-way non-lawyer.</p><p><br></p><p>And Democrats overperformed in Tuesday’s special elections.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>MAIN SHOW:</p><p><br></p><p>Crazytimes continue at the DOJ as Trump’s goons <a href="https://lawandchaospod.substack.com/p/blanche-steals-bondis-brown-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jockey to replace</a> Pam Bondi. Acting AG Todd Blanche is professing his love for Trump at the podium. US Attorney for DC <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/judge-jeanine-pirro-attorney-general-trump-jerome-powell.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeanine Pirro</a> can’t indict a ham sandwich, and juries are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/06/politics/jeanine-pirro-trials-dc-juries" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">telling her</a> to take a hike. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/trump-attorney-general-blanche-dhillion-pirro-00864988" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Politico</a> says Harmeet Dhillon, head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, is in the running for the top job. She’s currently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/doj-cassidy-hutchinson-investigation-trump.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trying to indict</a> January 6 Committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson for perjury — which has exactly nothing to do with civil rights. And Dhillon’s office keeps <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.293151/gov.uscourts.mad.293151.92.0_1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">losing</a> when she sues states demanding they turn over their voter rolls.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Will Republicans invoke <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxxv" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the 25th Amendment</a> to remove Trump from office? (No.) But the fact that we’re asking the question shows how far we’ve come.</p><p><br></p><p>And in Tennessee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is trying to get his human smuggling case dismissed on grounds of vindictive prosecution. Both <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622.307.0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the government</a> and <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622.306.0_1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Garcia</a> filed their briefs this week. The government claims that prosecution started with an <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/justice/2022-tn-traffic-stop-of-kilmar-abrego-garcia-was-day-three-of-trip-that-originated-in-houston-took-detour-to-st-louis-crossed-trafficking-hubs-and-areas-with-ms-13/tpappert/2025/04/21/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">article in the local paper</a>, the <em>Tennessee Star</em>. Which is weird because the case was reopened in Baltimore the week before the article was published —&nbsp;and DHS is actually the source of the reporting!</p><p><br></p><p>Blanche Steals Bondi's Brown Nose</p><p><a href="https://lawandchaospod.substack.com/p/blanche-steals-bondis-brown-nose" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://lawandchaospod.substack.com/p/blanche-steals-bondis-brown-nose</a></p><p><br></p><p>Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Division Is Investigating Star Witness Against Trump</p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/doj-cassidy-hutchinson-investigation-trump.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/doj-cassidy-hutchinson-investigation-trump.html</a></p><p><br></p><p>Kilmar Abrego Garcia [TN criminal docket]</p><p><a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.104622/</a></p><p><br></p><p>2022 TN Traffic Stop of Kilmar Abrego Garcia Was Day Three of Trip That Originated in Houston, Took Detour to St. Louis, Crossed Trafficking Hubs and Areas with MS-13</p><p><a href="https://tennesseestar.com/justice/2022-tn-traffic-stop-of-kilmar-abrego-garcia-was-day-three-of-trip-that-originated-in-houston-took-detour-to-st-louis-crossed-trafficking-hubs-and-areas-with-ms-13/tpappert/2025/04/21/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tennesseestar.com/justice/2022-tn-traffic-stop-of-kilmar-abrego-garcia-was-day-three-of-trip-that-originated-in-houston-took-detour-to-st-louis-crossed-trafficking-hubs-and-areas-with-ms-13/tpappert/2025/04/21/</a></p><p><br></p><p>African Communities Together v. Noem [TPS for Ethiopians]</p><p><a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72178312/african-communities-together-v-noem/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72178312/african-communities-together-v-noem/</a></p><p><br></p><p>Mullin weighs using airport customs as leverage against sanctuary cities</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mullin-weighs-using-airport-customs-leverage-against-sanctuary-cities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mullin-weighs-using-airport-customs-leverage-against-sanctuary-cities</a></p><p><br></p><p>Judge Jeanine’s Big Audition</p><p><a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/judge-jeanine-pirro-attorney-general-trump-jerome-powell.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/judge-jeanine-pirro-attorney-general-trump-jerome-powell.html</a></p><p><br></p><p>Inside the battle to be Trump’s next attorney general</p><p>​​<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/trump-attorney-general-blanche-dhillion-pirro-00864988" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/trump-attorney-general-blanche-dhillion-pirro-00864988</a></p><p><br></p><p>Show Links:</p><p><a href="https://www.lawandchaospod.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lawandchaospod.com/</a></p><p>BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p>Threads: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p>Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod</p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>

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