Democracy & Rule of Law
Elections
895 Articles
Why It May Not Matter If BuzzFeed Got It Wrong: “Encouraging” Perjury is Also a Crime
"If President Trump encouraged, rather than directed, Cohen to lie to Congress, the President would still be guilty of a federal crime involving an obstruction of justice."
Why Trump’s Directing Cohen, Others to Lie Would Be Far Worse Than Watergate
The threats to U.S. national security make these alleged acts of suborning perjury, false statements, and obstruction of justice much worse than Watergate.
The Dangers of Democratic Republic of Congo’s Post-Election Dispute
The announced results of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Dec. 30 presidential elections have thrown the country into confusion. Precedents elsewhere on the continent show…
Decoding What Barr Really Said About Letting the Public See the Mueller Report
"Barr didn’t answer the key question of whether he’d make Mueller’s final report public—or, if he did, his answer missed the mark."
What to Watch for in Bill Barr’s Confirmation Hearing
Just Security asked experts what to watch for in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for William Barr, President Trump’s nominee to replace Jeff Sessions…
In 2019, Will the Global March of Authoritarianism Turn Into a Stampede … or a Slog?
The global march of authoritarianism is off to a vigorous start this year. And if 2018 and the impending milestones of 2019 are any indication, the standoff between democracy and…
Trump Campaign in Legal Jeopardy Over Manafort’s Sharing Data with Russian Agent
According to a court filing earlier this week, former 2016 Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort shared presidential campaign polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian citizen…
When the Pardon Furthers the Conspiracy: Limits to the Pardon Power
As the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election continues to close in on President Donald Trump and his closest advisors, there have been reinvigorated…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in December 2018
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
Ruminations on RICO and Asset Forfeiture in the Trump Business Empire
Garrett Graff provided an excellent summary in Wired of the seventeen Trump-related investigations currently open. The settlement of fraud allegations against Trump University…
What’s Noticeably Missing from the Whitaker Nonrecusal Explanation
The Department of Justice issued a letter yesterday explaining why Matthew Whitaker has decided he won’t recuse from superintending the Russia Investigation overseen by Special…
Mueller’s Investigation May Be Coming to an End, But Congress Is Just Getting Started
On January 3, 2019, a new Congress will head to work with a monumental — but not unprecedented — job to tackle. Close observers of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation…