

Law and Chaos
Liz Dye
Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That’s true for a traffic stop, and it’s true if you want to participate in whatever’s left of American democracy. If the events since the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that tuning out is not an option. Legal journalists Liz Dye and Andrew Torrez break down the week’s most important courtroom stories, so you can keep on top of this crazy news cycle. Whether it’s Texas giving two middle fingers to the Supreme Court, or Donald Trump in all the courts at once, we’ve got you covered.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 24, 2024 • 1h 3min
Ep 93 — Rudy Giuliani Is Wilding Out, And Polio Is Ready For A Comeback (ft. Andrew Fleischman)
Rudy Giuliani’s wilding out, RFK Jr wants to bring back polio, and the Georgia Court of appeals just set fire to the last remnants of the Trump election interference case. Links: Freeman v. Giuliani [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69015293/freeman-v-giuliani/?order_by=desc GA Court of Appeals Willis Order https://efast.gaappeals.us/download?filingId=cdec1774-027f-4de6-aaf5-fb6c9bb99270 Siri FDA Petition to revoke polio vaccine approval https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/e68bd8b142eb7bf0/914e0b90-full.pdf FDA Response https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2022-P-1998-0008 21 CFR Subpart B https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/part-10/subpart-B About Aaron Siri https://www.sirillp.com/aaron-siri/ Carrier & Wander, Citizen Petitions: An Empirical Study, Cardozo Law Review (2012) https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm?abstractid=2074656 IPOL package insert https://www.fda.gov/media/75695/download Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 20, 2024 • 52min
Ep 92 — Republicans Finally Found Someone To Blame For J6, And It Is Liz Cheney
Republicans in Congress are suggesting that the FBI should LOCK HER UP Liz Cheney, and Donald Trump thinks that’s a great idea. But can he do that? We’ll discuss. Plus, a Georgia appeals court has disqualified Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her entire office from prosecuting Donald Trump, likely dooming the entire case. And for subscribers, we’ve got a fun tour of defamation trollsuits from one of our favorite Kraken lawyers. Links: GA Court of Appeals Willis Order https://efast.gaappeals.us/download?filingId=cdec1774-027f-4de6-aaf5-fb6c9bb99270 Loudermilk Report https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/6/d/6dae7b82-7683-4f56-a177-ba98695e600d/145DD5A70E967DEEC1F511764D3E6FA1.final-interim-report.pdf Loudermilk Committee Report (October 15, 2024) https://cha.house.gov/2024/10/new-texts-reveal-liz-cheney-communicated-with-cassidy-hutchinson-about-her-select-committee-testimony-without-hutchinson-s-attorney-s-knowledge-despite-cheney-knowing-it-was-unethical GA Ct Appeals Decision Re Willis https://efast.gaappeals.us/download?filingId=cdec1774-027f-4de6-aaf5-fb6c9bb99270 Robinson v. CNN Federal Docket via Court Listener https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nced.214292 Mike Flynn Florida Appeal Dismissed https://2dca.flcourts.gov/content/download/2444599/opinion/Opinion_2024-0278.pdf Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 17, 2024 • 1h 4min
Ep 91 — But Can He Do That: Birthright Citizenship Edition
Donald Trump has promised to cancel birthright citizenship on Day one. But can he do that? In a word, no. We have a deep dive on the very clear law of birthright citizenship in this country (and all the ways Trump will try and ignore it). We also break down yesterday’s decision and order from New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan that presidential immunity does not retroactively invalidate Trump’s 34 felony convictions in New York. Links: ABC Bends The Knee https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/abc-bends-the-knee Trump ruling denying immunity NY https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25459328/merchan-immunity-ruling.pdf Trump announcement re birthright citizenship https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-day-one-executive-order-ending-citizenship-for-children-of-illegals-and-outlawing-birth-tourism U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3381955771263111765 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 13, 2024 • 57min
Ep 90 — Dems And Republicans Join Hands To Take Away The Kids’ TikTok
We talk with TechDirt’s Cathy Gellis, who is going to walk us through the DC Circuit’s opinion banning TikTok. And in the subscriber bonus, we’ll bring you up to speed on Rudy Giuliani’s continuing efforts to dodge justice in multiple courts. Links: TikTok v. Garland (DC Cir.) https://media.cadc.uscourts.gov/opinions/docs/2024/12/24-1113-2088317.pdf Petition for injunction staying order https://sf16-va.tiktokcdn.com/obj/eden-va2/hkluhazhjeh7jr/2024.12.09%20-%20TTI%20v.%20Garland%20-%20Petitioners'%20Emergency%20Motion%20for%20Injunction(1).pdf Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) 15 U.S. Code § 9901 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/9901 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 11, 2024 • 1h 5min
Ep 89 — The Infowars Deal Falls Apart
Last night US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez voided the sale of Infowars to The Onion as part of the Alex Jones Bankruptcy. It sucks a lot. And speaking of sucking, let’s talk about the Impoundment Control Act and How Trump plans to violate it. Links: ALEX JONES BANKRUPTCY DOCKET https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66583024/alexander-e-jones/ Revised Infowars proposed sale order (REDLINE) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsb.459750/gov.uscourts.txsb.459750.975.1.pdf Trump on impoundment https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-using-impoundment-to-cut-waste-stop-inflation-and-crush-the-deep-state Train v. City of New York https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/420/35/#42 House Dems Impoundment Explainer https://democrats-budget.house.gov/resources/fact-sheetss/impoundment-explainer GAO Report on Ukraine Impoundment Violation https://www.gao.gov/products/b-331564 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 6, 2024 • 1h 3min
Ep 88 — Meet Brendan Carr, The Guy Who’s Going To Make Internet Service Even Sh*ttier (Ft. Karl Bode)
Trump has nominated Brendan Carr to chair the FCC, calling him a “warrior for Free Speech” who “will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America's Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America." But as tech journalist Karl Bode explains, Carr has threatened to go after media outlets that criticize Trump, and his plans for rural broadband are even worse. And Liz and Andrew break down the issue “scrutiny” in Skrmetti, the SCOTUS case on healthcare for trans kids. Plus, we check in with Rudy Giuliani’s shenanigans in the subscriber bonus. Links: Skrmetti: It Was THAT Bad https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/skrmetti-it-was-that-bad Institute for Local Self Reliance https://ilsr.org/ Karl Bode at Techdirt https://www.techdirt.com/user/kbode/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Dec 3, 2024 • 1h 4min
Ep 87 — Skrmetti Preview: How Low Can SCOTUS Go?
It’s a roundup of Hunter Biden, Rudy Giuliani, and Infowars news, before a preview of US v. Skrmetti, the challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender confirming care for minors, which will be argued at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. And for subscribers, we’ll catch up with Dinesh D’Souza, who’s getting sued by a man he falsely accused of being a “ballot mule.” Links: Elon Musk’s X is stepping into the legal fight over Alex Jones’ Infowars. Experts say it’s unprecedented https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/29/media/alex-jones-elon-musk-x-infowars-accounts/index.html Freeman v. Giuliani Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69116157/freeman-v-giuliani/ Hunter Biden Delaware Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67511701/united-states-v-biden/ Hunter Biden California Docket https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68072483/united-states-v-biden/ Inside the Collapse of Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/us/politics/inside-hunter-biden-plea-deal.html Tennessee SB 1 - Tennessee Code, Title 68, Chapter 33 https://casetext.com/statute/tennessee-code/title-68-health-safety-and-environmental-protection/health/chapter-33-health-and-welfare-of-minors Skrmetti reply brief (gender affirming care) https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-477/331420/20241107183937931_23-477rbUnitedStates.pdf Danyon Anderson et al., Gender Dysphoria and Its Non-Surgical and Surgical Treatments (2022) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9501960/ In re Vital Pharmaceutical (2023) https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-ban-crt-s-d-flo-for-lau-div/2289548.html D’Souza Statement https://dineshdsouza.com/statement-on-2000-mules/ Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Nov 26, 2024 • 59min
Ep 86 — For The Low, Low Price of $525, Matt Gaetz Will Send YOU a Special Message
Today, we learned that Special Counsel Jack Smith has moved to dismiss both of the federal cases against Donald Trump; we tell you what that means and what happens next. On the plus side, we learned that the Onion is almost certainly going to get to buy Infowars AND the next Attorney General of the United States won’t be Matt Gaetz. Although it probably will be Pam Bondi. Oh, and the Supreme Court just took up a case on a 100-year-old doctrine as to whether the government can help rural and underserved areas get phone and internet coverage. Links: Pam Bondi: Less Terrible Than Matt Gaetz https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/pam-bondi-is-less-terrible-than-matt No, Elon Musk Isn’t Riding To Alex Jones’s Rescue https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/no-elon-musk-isnt-riding-to-alex/comments SCOTUS Order in FCC v. Consumers Research https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/112224zr1_7l48.pdf 5th Circuit opinion in FCC v. Consumers Research https://casetext.com/case/consumers-research-v-fed-commcns-commn-4 Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Nov 22, 2024 • 37min
Ep 85 — Can Elon and Vivek Really Burn Down the Federal Government? (feat. Kel McClanahan)
Kel McClanahan joins us for part two of the interview, where he tells us how to keep tabs on Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as they gear up to do for the federal government what Elon did for Twitter. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is not going to jail, Alex Jones continues to be a ghoul, and Rudy Giuliani has found another lawyer to help him humiliate himself in federal court. Links: Rudy Giuliani Can't Go On Trial, He Has An Inauguration To Attend! https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/rudy-giuliani-cant-go-on-trial-he Roake v. Brumley 5th Circuit denial of stay https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca5.221848/gov.uscourts.ca5.221848.68.2.pdf Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. Chapter 10 et seq. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/part-I/chapter-10 Kel McClanahan, President Trump’s Cronyism and Excesses Should Prompt Security Clearance Reform https://www.justsecurity.org/63108/president-trumps-cronyism-excesses-prompt-security-clearance-reform/ Kel McClanahan, The Case for Legislative Security Clearance Reform https://www.justsecurity.org/60440/case-legislative-security-clearance-reform/ Kel McClanahan, What Everyone Gets Wrong About Kushner’s Clearance Fiasco https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/01/jared-kushner-clearance-fiasco-217210/ Support and donate to: www.nationalsecuritylaw.org Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod

Nov 19, 2024 • 1h 6min
Ep 84 — The Infowars/Onion Deal Gets Peeled (feat. Kel McClanahan)
Goblinlover Alex Jones is threatening to jail Ben Collins, CEO of the Onion for trying to buy InfoWars. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy trustee is threatening to seek sanctions against Alex Jones’s lawyers for making frivolous arguments and telling half-truths. What’s next for the efforts to find some measure of justice for the Sandy Hook families? Plus, Donald Trump seems poised to hand over the nation’s national security secrets to a bunch of goons who couldn’t get cleared for a job as a mall cop. Can he do that? We welcome back Kel McClanahan of National Security Counselors to answer all of our security clearance-related questions. Links: Alex Jones Bankruptcy docket (SDTX) https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsb.459750/ Support and donate to: www.nationalsecuritylaw.org Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod