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On Sept. 29, former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing about his team’s investigations into President Donald Trump for the events of Jan. 6, 2021 and Trump's retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The committee questioned Smith about his subpoena of toll records of members of Congress, accused him of conducting investigations into Republicans due to political bias, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sept. 29, the full D.C. Circuit heard oral argument over Judge Boasberg’s inquiry. Justice Department attorney Brett Shumate argued that Judge Boasberg’s probe into other contemnors beyond Secretary Kristi Noem was out of line, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt warned that the Trump administration was attempting to strip federal courts of their ability to hold the government accountable, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On July 15th and 16th, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Todd Blanche, President Trump’s nominee for attorney general.  Republicans on the committee praised Blanche’s extensive experience in the Department of Justice and his record of prosecuting violent crime. Democrats, meanwhile, raised concerns about Blanche’s loyalty to President Trump and his handling of the Epstein files.  Day two of the hearing included testimony from Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Epstein survivor Dani Bensky, former Justice Department Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer, President of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Jon Adler, and Jenifer Bos, whose daughter was killed by an undocumented immigrant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On July 15th, the Senate Intelligence Committee held a confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton, President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence. Republicans on the committee asked Clayton about his experience working with the intelligence community as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, while Democrats pressed him about claims of alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election and subpoenas issued to journalists from the New York Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On June 3, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled, “Oversight Hearing – Department of Justice.” Over the course of two hours, the representatives questioned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on whether the Justice Department would commit to scrapping its proposed $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the current standing of the agreement in the Trump family’s settlement that bars the IRS from bringing claims against the Trump family and its businesses for past tax issues, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On May 19, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled, “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Justice,” in which Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified for a 13% budget increase from the 2026 fiscal year, amounting to a total proposed budget of ​​$41.2 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Over the course of two hours, the subcommittee questioned Blanche on the Justice Department’s recently announced $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” its investigations into accusations of child sex trafficking and other crimes in the Epstein files, its role in implementing the March 31 executive order on securing federal elections, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On May 19, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in Anthropic’s lawsuit against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense for its designation of the AI company as a supply chain risk. Judges Karen LeCraft Henderson, Gregory Katsas, and Neomi Rao questioned counsel for both parties on if the D.C. Circuit has the authority to review the Pentagon’s designation decisions, the conceptual difficulty of delivering a static ruling for a technology whose capabilities and risks are rapidly changing, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 27, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Chatrie v. United States, centering on a Fourth Amendment challenge to the use of geofence warrants, which allow investigators to obtain location data stored by a service provider within a specific geographic area and time period. Over the course of two hours, the justices questioned Petitioner’s Counsel Adam G. Unikowsky and Deputy Solicitor General Eric J. Feigin on how such geofence warrants comport with the Fourth Amendment's Reasonable Expectation of Privacy and its Search and Seizures Clause, the role of service providers’ disclosures and data storage processes, how the challenge fits with precedent set in the Court’s 2017 decision in Carpenter v. U.S., and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 1, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Trump v. Barbara, which centered on a challenge to the president’s executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2025, that attempted to end birthright citizenship. Over the course of two hours, the justices questioned U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer and the ACLU’s Cecillia Wang on how the order comports with the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, the ambassadors and tribal exceptions, the Immigration and Nationality Act, precedent set in the Court’s 1898 decision in Wong Kim Ark, and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 18, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held an open hearing entitled “Worldwide Threats,” which featured testimony from National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, Acting National Security Director and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command William Hartman, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director James Adams. The committee questioned the intelligence community leaders on the ongoing war in Iran, the Russia-Ukraine War, the cyberthreats posed by China and Russia, foreign threats to U.S. elections, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 22nd, former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith.” Over four and a half hours, the committee questioned Smith about the indictments previously brought against President Trump, Smith’s investigation into the January 6th riot at the Capitol, the decision to subpoena congressional phone records, the classified documents case, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On October 7th, Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing entitled “Oversight of the Department of Justice.” The committee questioned Bondi about politicized personnel decisions at the Justice Department, the deployment of the National Guard to states, anti-corruption enforcement, border czar Tom Homan’s alleged acceptance of $50,000 during an FBI sting, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 17, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the House Judiciary Committee in an annual hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The committee questioned Patel about the firing of FBI agents involved in investigating President Trump, the Jeffrey Epstein case, the investigation into the murder of Charlie Kirk, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On September 16, FBI Director Kash Patel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in an annual hearing entitled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” The committee questioned Patel about the firing of FBI agents involved in investigating President Trump, the Jeffrey Epstein case, the investigation into the murder of Charlie Kirk, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Lawfare No Bull: On June 10, the House Appropriations Subcommittee held an oversight hearing for the Department of Defense. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, and Bryn MacDonnell, Special Assistant Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer, testified before the committee. Members of the committee questioned the witnesses about the delay in receiving the Department’s FY2026 budget, investments in submarines, the cost of deploying troops to Los Angeles, cuts to personnel and programs, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.