Trump administration’s Civil Service
51 Articles

What Will You Do if Mueller is Fired?
Street protest outside Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York City, March 8, 2017. Photo credit: Melissa Bender “Whether ours shall continue to be a government of laws…

Thoughts on Erik Prince’s Proposal to Privatize Intelligence Gathering
This week we learned, via the Intercept, of Erik Prince’s proposal to provide the Trump Administration with a private intelligence outfit. According to the Intercept, “The…

Help Wanted: Custodians for the Rule of Law
A version of these remarks were delivered by Lisa Monaco at the University of Chicago Law School Diploma and Hooding Ceremony on June 10, 2017, where she also received the Distinguished…

Why It Does Not Matter Who Rachel Brand Is
Last week, amid speculation that Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may be forced to recuse himself from the expanding Russia investigation – unless he gets fired first –…

Of Laws, Not Men
Those old enough to remember Watergate will recall that “we are a government of laws, not men” became a mantra. It was repeated so often as to risk banality. But we are a nation…

The Flagrant Foul in Trump’s Disclosure of Classified Info to Russia: The Missing Interagency Process
It was a far more effective strategy for the White House not to deny the facts of the Washington Post report that the president had disclosed information to Russia, but instead…

Norms Watch: Tracking the Erosion of Democratic Traditions (Apr. 29-May 5)
Editor’s Note: 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…

Ben Wittes and Quinta Jurecic on the “Oathless Presidency”—Questions raised by deep distrust in Trump
Just Security and the Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law were delighted to host an event today for our friends from Lawfare, Ben Wittes and Quinta Jurecic, for a discussion…

Holding the Federal Government in Contempt of Court: What Powers Do Judges Have Over an Administration?
Within a day of the Trump administration’s January 27 travel order, a U.S. district court ordered Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to permit lawyers access to certain detainees…

Survivor’s Guide to Being a Successful Whistleblower in the Federal Government
Whistleblowers do a difficult thing: They often put their career and livelihood at risk standing up against their organization and disclosing information that may embarrass their…

The President and the Peril of Politicizing our Military
After his inauguration, President Donald Trump didn’t take long to boast of his purported political support from the military. In his speech to the CIA – given in front…

Trump and the Immigration Bureaucracy: Should We Expect Civil Servants to Dissent?
President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) barring entry from seven Muslim majority countries and suspending the refugee resettlement program has sparked public outcry, caused upheaval…