In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Jill Wine-Banks and Kimberly Atkins Stohr answer listener questions on presidential appointments, Trump’s use of the DOJ against political enemies, online threats, and more.  They discuss whether a president’s former personal attorney can serve as Attorney General, the constitution and what citizens can do to strengthen democracy on the country’s 250th birthday, whether national monuments can be renamed or repurposed, if a future DOJ can overturn Trump’s “in perpetuity” tax agreement, how online threats become legally actionable, the ability of Trump’s doctor to invoke the 25th Amendment, and why the DOJ is pursuing cases against Trump’s perceived enemies rather than his personal lawyers.

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Joyce Vance and Jill Wine-Banks answer your questions on Trump’s controversial slush fund, crimes committed in prison, and more. They discuss why the president cannot legally use taxpayer money as a personal slush fund, ongoing lawsuits challenging the fund, creative ways Congress and citizens might push back, the best internships for aspiring law students, when the hosts first knew they wanted to become lawyers, how crimes in federal prisons are prosecuted compared to the outside world, and whether Trump could receive an automatic self-pardon for potential insider trading.

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Jill Wine-Banks hosts #SistersInLaw to discuss the latest developments concerning the slush fund for J6 defendants and others, covering court rulings by Judges Leon and Brinkema that halted it and skepticism about the administration’s claims that it was dead.  Then, they examine Ken Paxton’s retaliatory lawsuit against the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue and the partisan congressional hearing that sought to question its CEO.  They also analyze Trump’s push to have Congress pass a resolution expunging his two impeachments from the record, explaining why his plan won’t work and how it weakens existing avenues for government accountability.

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In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Barb McQuade and Joyce Vance answer listener questions on prosecutor ethics, protest rights, trademark law, and more. They discuss whether state bars can discipline federal prosecutors who follow Trump over the rule of law, the difference between protected peaceful protest and actions that can lead to arrest, whether Patagonia has a strong trademark infringement case against drag performer Pattie Gonia, if Todd Blanche could face disbarment for unethical conduct after leaving the Trump administration, whether the Attorney General is legally required to be a lawyer, and classic legal fiction books.

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Joyce Vance and Jill Wine-Banks answer your questions on Trump’s controversial slush fund, crimes committed in prison, and more. They discuss why the president cannot legally use taxpayer money as a personal slush fund, ongoing lawsuits challenging the fund, creative ways Congress and citizens might push back, the best internships for aspiring law students, when the hosts first knew they wanted to become lawyers, how crimes in federal prisons are prosecuted compared to the outside world, and whether Trump could receive an automatic self-pardon for potential insider trading.

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Joyce Vance hosts #SistersInLaw to discuss John Bolton’s plea deal, compare it to the Petraeus case, explore its Biden-era origins, and contrast Bolton’s cooperation with Trump’s obstruction.  Then, the #Sisters dissect Trump’s controversial cabinet picks, particularly the unqualified loyalist Bill Pulte as acting DNI and Todd Blanche for AG, despite his handling of the Epstein files, the slush fund, and other red flags in his confirmation.  They also analyze the SCOTUS shadow docket reversal in Alabama’s Milligan case and the Calais ruling, warning of an open season on racial and political gerrymandering nationwide.

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This episode was recorded prior to the news that the Trump Administration has suggested that it will follow court order and not use the Anti-Weaponization slush fund it created. We note that DOJ has not canceled the immunity it granted Trump from investigations and payment of past taxes that might be owed and has not said they will not find and fund an alternative method to pay those convicted of Jan6 crimes. Legal challenges remain ongoing and remain necessary.

In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Joyce Vance and Jill Wine-Banks answer your questions on Trump’s controversial slush fund, crimes committed in prison, and more. They discuss why the president cannot legally use taxpayer money as a personal slush fund, ongoing lawsuits challenging the fund, creative ways Congress and citizens might push back, the best internships for aspiring law students, when the hosts first knew they wanted to become lawyers, how crimes in federal prisons are prosecuted compared to the outside world, and whether Trump could receive an automatic self-pardon for potential insider trading.

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Kimberly Atkins Stohr hosts #SistersInLaw to discuss the Trump administration's revenge prosecution of E. Jean Carroll, examining the motivations behind the investigation, the allegations against her, and the role of financial backers in her civil suit against the President.  Then, they expose the DOJ's prosecutorial misconduct in the Broadview Six case, review the vindictive prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and highlight the dangers of politicizing DOJ appointments.  They also explain the recent SCOTUS decision overturning the murder conviction of Terry Pitchford due to racial discrimination in the jury selection process, and the implications of Justice Kavanaugh’s opinion on future cases.

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In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Barb McQuade and Kimberly Atkins Stohr answer your questions on everything from nationwide injunctions and the mifepristone ruling to the case against Luigi Mangione, and more. They discuss whether universal injunctions are still allowed after recent Supreme Court decisions, Congress’s limited power over state redistricting and apportionment under the Voting Rights Act, the suppression of evidence in the Luigi Mangione trial, Trump’s audit immunity, whether the statute of limitations is truly a “get out of jail free” card, how the Calais decision shifted Voting Rights Act claims from effect to intent, and if the current Supreme Court justices get along behind the scenes.

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Barb McQuade hosts #SistersinLaw to discuss the DOJ “anti-weaponization” slush fund that uses $1.8 billion in taxpayer money to pay Trump, his allies, and J6 rioters for alleged government “weaponization,” along with a lifetime IRS audit ban for Trump. Then, the #Sisters break down the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel’s memo declaring the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional, the federal court injunction blocking the White House from ignoring the law, and the danger to our system. They also examine the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, the evidence against him, its questionable timing, and the possibility of military action.

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In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Barb McQuade and Jill Wine-Banks answer your questions on everything from impeaching Trump, Vance, and the cabinet all at once to AI-generated political ads, and more. They discuss whether Article II, Section 4 allows mass removal of the entire executive branch, Congress’s power to set mandatory minimum sentences, the legality of Trump’s picture on U.S. passports, quarantine powers during outbreaks like the Hantavirus, the rights of retired military officers like Pete Hegseth to freely talk on politics, and the legality of Spencer Pratt’s AI ad using the likeness of his political opponents.

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Jill Wine-Banks hosts #SistersInLaw to explain the D.C. Circuit arguments over Trump’s 2025 executive order punishing elite law firms for representing clients and causes he dislikes, the firms’ lower court wins, the government’s failed arguments, and the court’s skepticism. Then, the #Sisters examine the DOJ subpoena to the Wall Street Journal issued as part of a leak investigation, and discuss its threat to press freedom.  They also review Jamie Raskin’s anti-corruption bills that strengthen emoluments rules, ban pardon payments, and further other good-government reforms.

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In this episode of Sisters Sidebar, Jill Wine-Banks and Kimberly Atkins-Stor answer your questions on everything from the Secretary of Defense’s firing powers to conservatorships, and more. They discuss Pete Hegseth’s removal of the Secretary of the Navy, how the Posse Comitatus Act applies to JAG attorneys prosecuting civilian cases, whether substituting the United States as defendant in the E. Jean Carroll case could reopen presidential immunity, if the Roberts’ Court would have upheld the Voting Rights Act in 1965, using a dictionary definition of 86 to defeat Jim Comey’s indictment, and the process for initiating conservatorships.

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