Ep 263 — SCOTUS Saves The Midterms … Eventually

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Summary <p dir="ltr">DOCKET ALERTS:</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">This podcast won a victory today in its lawsuit against the Trump administration to kick loose the document the DOJ used as the basis for a frivolous ethics complaint against Judge James Boasberg in DC. Judge Abelson <a href= "https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.589465/gov.uscourts.mdd.589465.43.0.pdf"> ordered the DOJ to produce discovery</a> to us so we can evaluate the administration's claims that "Attachment A" isn't subject to the Freedom of Information Act.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">The hardware store Lowe's was <a href= "https://courthousenews.com/lowes-hit-with-class-action-over-collection-of-consumers-voiceprints/"> hit</a> with a <a href= "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lowes-class-action-biometric-information.pdf"> consumer class action suit</a> in Chicago alleging that it steals customers' voice prints when they call customer service.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">A lawyer in New Mexico has been <a href= "https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gkplemoznvb/New%20Mexico%20sanctions%20order%20-%20AI.pdf"> sanctioned</a> for filing motions referring to fake witnesses hallucinated by ChatGPT. In a murder case!</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">DOOFUS OF THE DAY:</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">John Eastman, the election-denying crank lawyer, is now <a href= "https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-ally-john-eastman-joins-upenn-professors-legal-team-citing-despicable-2026-09-14/"> representing</a> Amy Wax. Wax is a notorious racist whom the University of Pennsylvania law school has been trying to fire for years. Eastman entered his appearance on her behalf at the Third Circuit, which is weird because he was disbarred in California last year. But not to worry, he's filed a <a href= "https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/26/26-336/423876/20260911094527982_USSC%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf"> petition</a> asking the Supreme Court to undo that!</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">MAIN SHOW:</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">While we were recording, the Supreme Court finally <a href= "https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a305_4g15.pdf">rejected</a> Trump's plan to use the Post office to blow up the midterms. on whether it intends to stay a judicial order enjoining the US Postal Service from meddling with mail-in ballots during the 2026 midterms, but each new development seems to make it less likely that it will do so. Late Sunday night, Trump appointee Judge Carl Nichols in Washington DC <a href= "https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2026cv1114-192"> issued his own injunction</a> blocking the rule and smacking down the administration's arguments.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">More details emerged over the weekend about the Grand Conspiracy investigation in Florida and why MAGA conspiracy lawyer Joe diGenova noped out. Apparently he didn't get the memo that the point was to indict a couple of Trump's enemies, declare victory, and be long gone before the charges imploded. Meanwhile, former CIA Director John Brennan has filed a <a href= "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73562893/brennan-v-blanche/?order_by=desc"> lawsuit</a> in DC seeking to head off his own prosecution.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Trump's offer of $5,000 checks to every citizen if Republicans hold the House and the Senate isn't bribery. And it isn't going to happen.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">SUBSCRIBER BONUS:</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">In a supplement to <a href= "https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trumps-doj-lawyers-leap-in-to-save"> our written blog post</a>, we talk about all the weirdness in the DOJ's "Notice of Appeal" in the Trump v. IRS slush fund case, including how the administration's lawyers sound an awful lot like sovereign citizen nutjobs.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">"Trump's DOJ Lawyers Leap In To Save Trump's Personal Lawyers"</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trumps-doj-lawyers-leap-in-to-save"> https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/trumps-doj-lawyers-leap-in-to-save</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Res Ipsa Media v. DOJ [docket Via CourtListener]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71236135/res-ipsa-media-llc-v-department-of-justice/?order_by=desc"> https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71236135/res-ipsa-media-llc-v-department-of-justice/?order_by=desc</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Perkins v. Lowe's [Complaint via Courthouse News]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lowes-class-action-biometric-information.pdf"> https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Lowes-class-action-biometric-information.pdf</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Attorney Sanctions Order [via Reuters]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gkplemoznvb/New%20Mexico%20sanctions%20order%20-%20AI.pdf"> https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/gkplemoznvb/New%20Mexico%20sanctions%20order%20-%20AI.pdf</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">AFGE-AFL-CIO v. Kupor [Civil Service loyalty test]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71884278/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-kupor/"> https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71884278/american-federation-of-government-employees-afl-cio-v-kupor/</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Eastman v. State Bar of California [Petition for Cert]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/26/26-336/423876/20260911094527982_USSC%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf"> https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/26/26-336/423876/20260911094527982_USSC%20Petition%20for%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Trump ally John Eastman joins UPenn professor's legal team, citing 'despicable cancel culture'</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-ally-john-eastman-joins-upenn-professors-legal-team-citing-despicable-2026-09-14/"> https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-ally-john-eastman-joins-upenn-professors-legal-team-citing-despicable-2026-09-14/</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Trump v. League of Women Voters [Supreme Court docket]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26a305.html"> https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/26a305.html</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">USPS Revised DMM [mail-in ballot regulations]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections"> https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/26/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">DSCC v. Trump [DC mail-in ballot case injunction by Judge Nichols]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2026cv1114-192"> https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2026cv1114-192</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">USPS v. California [Mail-in Ballots SCOTUS Docket]</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A305.html"> https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A305.html</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Brennan v. Blanche</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73562893/brennan-v-blanche/">https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73562893/brennan-v-blanche/</a></p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Show Links:</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.lawandchaospod.com/">https://www.lawandchaospod.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod</p> <p dir="ltr">Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod</p> <p> </p>

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