It's Complicated

In this special episode, Renato interviews Erica Newland, who quit the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel because she believed that by aiding unconstitutional and dishonest policies, she was assisting the Trump Administration by legitimizing lies. Erica is now a counsel for the nonprofit group Protect Democracy. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss recent reports that the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller will end soon and that Attorney General William Barr will release a summary of Mueller’s report but not the full report. They are joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent and CNN Legal Analyst Asha Rangappa. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss numerous new legal developments, including the confirmation of Bill Barr as Attorney General, comments by Senator Richard Burr about evidence of “collusion” allegedly not found by his investigation, and the “national emergency” declared by Trump. They are joined by Barb McQuade, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and a MSNBC Legal Analyst, and Syracuse Law Professor William C. Banks. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss Trump’s frequent false and misleading statements and how the media’s coverage of Trump’s lies could contribute to the distortion of public debate caused by his false statements. They are joined by Daniel Dale, the Washington Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star and a frequent fact checker of Trump’s speeches. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato discussed the Trump Administration’s decision to suspend the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia, and whether the Trump Administration’s foreign policy has put Russian interests ahead of our own. He was joined by Samantha Vinograd, a CNN National Security Analyst who was a former National Security Council official and held numerous foreign policy roles in the Obama and Bush Administrations. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss the recent indictment of Trump associate Roger Stone, who was indicted for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing the investigation of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. They are joined by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), a member of that committee, and Barb McQuade, the former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and a MSNBC Legal Analyst. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss the recent Buzzfeed News report that indicated there was substantial evidence that Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress as well as the public statement by Mueller that the article is inaccurate and calls for Congress to investigate this and other matters. They are joined by former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss the recent news that the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation to determine if Trump was compromised by Russia and whether he was working for Russia to advance their interests ahead of our own. They are joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa and former CIA officer John Sipher, who ran the CIA’s Russia’s operations. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss the president’s “emergency” powers, including the limits of those powers, how they can be challenged, and how they should be reformed, with Syracuse Law Professor William C. Banks. They also speak at length with MSNBC Legal Analyst Mimi Rocah about many recent developments in the Mueller investigation, including the revelation that former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort provided private polling data to a Russian intelligence operative. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renato and Patti discuss gerrymandering, which dilutes the power of voters to choose representatives, as well as campaign finance reform with Paul Smith, who has represents citizens in important gerrymandering and campaign finance reform cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. They also speak with Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) about the legislation introduced by House Democrats to combat gerrymandering and reform campaign finance, as well as the agenda for House Democrats in the year ahead. Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Its.Complicated/ Follow Asha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_Asha's Substack: https://asharangappa.substack.com/Follow Renato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/renato_mariottiFollow Asha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asha.rangappa/Follow Renato on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renato.mariotti/Follow Renato on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@renato.mariotti Opening Theme and Bumper music provided by eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices