Special Counsel
177 Articles
The Constitutional Challenge to Robert Mueller’s Appointment (Part IV): Morrison, Edmond, and the DOJ Special Counsel Regulations
[With relatively minor oral argument updates; Nov. 8] In my previous post in this series, I explained that Special Counsel Mueller is (at most) an “inferior officer” for…
The Constitutional Challenge to Robert Mueller’s Appointment (Part III): What Would be “Good Cause” to Remove Mueller?
[UPDATED to reflect November 8 oral argument] In the case that’ll be argued November 8 before a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, appellant Andrew Miller’s…
The Constitutional Challenge to Robert Mueller’s Appointment (Part II): Is Mueller Even an Officer Subject to the Appointments Clause?
[With minor oral argument update; Nov. 8] As I explained in my introductory post, in the case challenging the legality of Robert Mueller’s appointment, Miller v. United States,…
The Constitutional Challenge to Robert Mueller’s Appointment (Part I): Introduction
[Minor Update after Oral Argument below–November 8] Two weeks from today, on Thursday, November 8, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (Judges Henderson,…
What Might Force Mueller’s Hand Before the Midterms? Exceptions to the DOJ 60-Day “Rule”
How much does this standard tie Mueller’s hands, and is there anything that might argue in favor of a pre-election surprise? Could, for example, efforts by Trump affiliates to…
Who Might Replace Rod Rosenstein and What Would it Mean for the Mueller and SDNY Investigations?: A Deep Dive
Who would replace Rosenstein as deputy attorney general in the event Trump fires him or he resigns under pressure? And who would supervise the Russia and related investigations?…
Sessions’ Recusal and Rosenstein’s Appointment of a Special Counsel—Both Were Legally Required
President Donald Trump made 5,001 false or misleading claims, as of Sept. 12, 2018, according to a running tally kept by the Washington Post. This included an astonishing 79 such…
How the First Amendment Shield for Christopher Steele Can Protect Russians Too
The First Amendment ended a lawsuit against Christopher Steele over his Dossier--and could protect some Russian election meddlers too.
The Trials of White House Counsel Don McGahn
Over the weekend, Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman published a remarkable story in the New York Times chronicling White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn’s substantial cooperation…
Reading Between the Lines: Is Gates Cooperating About More Than Manafort?
A revealing moment during the trial of Paul Manafort suggests that Rick Gates’ cooperation exceeds the scope of the case currently on trial and the other case against his former…
The Trial of Paul Manafort: What to Expect
The trial of former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort is scheduled to begin today in Virginia before Judge T.S. Ellis. Manafort is facing myriad charges, including tax fraud,…
A Path to Prosecuting President Trump
Justice Department regulations allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in “extraordinary circumstances,” to ask Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to approve a departure…