On Nov. 25, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a summary opinion in Thompson v. Hebdon, a case involving campaign-finance law. Specifically at issue was whether Alaska’s political contribution limits are consistent with this Court’s First Amendment precedents.
Currently, Alaska’s law imposes (among other things) a $500 annual limit on individual contributions to a political candidate and to any group other than a political party.
The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the limits, ruling that they were drawn narrowly to prevent quid pro quo corruption or the appearance of such corruption.
The Supreme Court, in an per curiam opinion, granted the petition of cert, vacated the decision below and remanded the case back for the 9th Circuit to revisit. Justice Ginsburg filed a statement.
To discuss the case, we have Derek Muller, Professor of Law at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law.
As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.
SCOTUScast - Kelly v. United States – Post-Argument SCOTUScast
On Jan. 14, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument in Kelly v. United States, a case asking whether a public official “defraud[s]” the government of its property by advancing a “public policy reason” for an official decision that is not that official’s subjective “real reason” for making the decision.
In 2013, in a New Jersey scandal known as “Bridgegate,” petitioners William E. Baroni, Jr. and Bridget Anne Kelly manufactured a grid-lock traffic jam in Fort Lee, New Jersey after the mayor refused to endorse then-Governor Chris Christie’s re-election campaign. Under the guise of a “traffic study” the two limited Fort Lee motorists’ access to the George Washington Bridge--the busiest bridge in the world--over the period of four days coinciding with the local school district’s first week of school.
Baroni and Kelly were indicted in 2015 for conspiracy to obtain by fraud, knowingly convert, or intentionally misapply property of an organization receiving federal benefits, the underlying offense itself (codified at 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A)), conspiracy to commit wire fraud, actual wire fraud, and conspiracy against civil rights. A jury convicted both defendants on all counts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed and vacated the civil rights convictions, but affirmed all other judgments of conviction. The Supreme Court subsequently granted certiorari, however, to consider whether a public official can “defraud” the government of its property by advancing a public policy reason for an official decision that was not actually the public official’s subjective reason for making the decision.
To discuss the case, we have Erin Sheley, associate professor of law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.
In 2013, in a New Jersey scandal known as “Bridgegate,” petitioners William E. Baroni, Jr. and Bridget Anne Kelly manufactured a grid-lock traffic jam in Fort Lee, New Jersey after the mayor refused to endorse then-Governor Chris Christie’s re-election campaign. Under the guise of a “traffic study” the two limited Fort Lee motorists’ access to the George Washington Bridge--the busiest bridge in the world--over the period of four days coinciding with the local school district’s first week of school.
Baroni and Kelly were indicted in 2015 for conspiracy to obtain by fraud, knowingly convert, or intentionally misapply property of an organization receiving federal benefits, the underlying offense itself (codified at 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A)), conspiracy to commit wire fraud, actual wire fraud, and conspiracy against civil rights. A jury convicted both defendants on all counts. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed and vacated the civil rights convictions, but affirmed all other judgments of conviction. The Supreme Court subsequently granted certiorari, however, to consider whether a public official can “defraud” the government of its property by advancing a public policy reason for an official decision that was not actually the public official’s subjective reason for making the decision.
To discuss the case, we have Erin Sheley, associate professor of law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
As always, the Federalist Society takes no particular legal or public policy positions. All opinions expressed are those of the speakers.
What Next - What Next | Daily News and Analysis – WN TBD: Big Tech Eyes the Pandemic
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.
Google has spent the last decade trying to find a foothold in the health care industry. Now they’re partnering with the federal government to build a website that will seek to address the crisis.
Can Google be trusted with our medical data?
Guest: Mason Marks, law professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and an affiliated fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What Next - What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future – Big Tech Eyes the Pandemic
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.
Google has spent the last decade trying to find a foothold in the health care industry. Now they’re partnering with the federal government to build a website that will seek to address the crisis.
Can Google be trusted with our medical data?
Guest: Mason Marks, law professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and an affiliated fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Best One Yet - 😘 “Netflix just got asked to chill” — Netflix’s ad-free moment. Ford’s anti-treat-yo-self strategy. Uber surges 38%.
Even though ride-hailing has plummeted in the corona-conomy, Uber’s CEO announced the company has $10B of cash, food delivery, and some side hustle ideas. Media consumption is surging while you work from home, and Netflix’s business model may put it above its media rivals. Ford’s touching its $13B loan as part of an anti-treat-yo-self plan, but that’s more of a problem for its bank.
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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - WN TBD: Big Tech Eyes the Pandemic
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence. Sign up now to listen and support our work.
Google has spent the last decade trying to find a foothold in the health care industry. Now they’re partnering with the federal government to build a website that will seek to address the crisis.
Can Google be trusted with our medical data?
Guest: Mason Marks, law professor at Gonzaga University School of Law and an affiliated fellow at Yale Law School's Information Society Project.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Short Wave - Keep Your Distance
It's a phrase we're hearing a lot now, social distancing. Practicing it is essential to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. But what does it really mean? NPR's Maria Godoy gives us advice on what good social distancing looks like in our daily lives - from socializing with friends to grocery shopping to travelling.
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Talk Python To Me - #256: Click to run your notebook with Binder
See the full show notes for this episode on the website at talkpython.fm/256
What A Day - An Epidemiologist Answers Covid-19 Questions (Part 2)
We’re joined once again by physician and former Detroit health commissioner Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to discuss Covid-19. We ask him how to evaluate the success of containment strategies, whether you can get coronavirus twice, and more.
Congress is still hashing out the details on a the relief bill. Meanwhile, unemployment claims are skyrocketing.
And in headlines: Senators sell off stock ahead of the pandemic, free cheesecake at The Factory, and Representative Tulsi Gabbard drops out of the race.
The NewsWorthy - “Stay at Home,” Internet Overload & Movie Marathon- Friday, March 20th, 2020
The news to know for Friday, March 20th, 2020!
We have a lot of updates about the impacts of the new coronavirus: from new orders to stay at home and worries about shortages to new treatments tested and more relief on the way...
Plus: we’re talking about the impact to the Internet, a weekend movie marathon, and a live-streamed talk show for charity.
Those stories and more in less than 10 minutes!
Award-winning broadcast journalist and former TV news reporter Erica Mandy breaks it all down for you.
Head to www.theNewsWorthy.com or see sources below to read more about any of the stories mentioned today.
This episode is brought to you by www.Blinkist.com/news and www.MagicSpoon.com/newsworthy
Become a NewsWorthy INSIDER! Learn more here: www.TheNewsWorthy.com/insider
Sources:
CA “Stay at Home” Order: AP, LA Times
Rise in Jobless Claims: NYT, ABC News
Travel Warnings, Restrictions: State Department, CNN, Politico, Reuters
Total COVID-19 Cases: Johns Hopkins
Italy’s Death Toll Surpasses China’s: NYT, Washington Post
More Makeshift Hospitals: CNN, Fox News, AP, KIRO
FDA Testing Drugs: NBC News, ABC News
NIH Wants Blood Samples from Survivors: NIH, The Verge
Connecticut Delays Primary: Axios, The Hill
Tulsi Gabbard Drops Out, Back Biden: NBC News, USA Today
Kirsten Gillibrand Backs Biden: Washington Post
Tesla Shutting Down Factories: The Verge, TechCrunch
Elon Musk, GM Offer to Make Ventilators: Engadget, ABC News
TV Shows Donate Medical Equipment: Mashable, CNN
Rosie O’Donnell Revives Talk Show: Hollywood Reporter, Variety
Slack Sees Boom: TechCrunch, Business Insider
Telehealth Services: STAT News
Netflix Switch to SD in EU: TechCrunch, Engadget, BBC
Cannes Film Festival Postponed: AP, NYT
New Minions Movie Delayed: WaPo, Variety
Hallmark Plans Christmas Movie Marathon: ABC News, Parade
Nickelodeon Launches New Content: Deadline, CNN
Feel Good Friday: Generous Tip: NBC News