Jack Smith testified for 8 hours to House Judiciary.Allison picked some of the key moments to talk about.

Can Trump's pardon power be checked? How do grand juries work? What does a Bar Association do? And more! You asked and we answered!

Lawyers for former CIA Chief John Brennan have written to the Chief Judge in the Southern District of Florida accusing the Justice Department of forum shopping. The Supreme Court has ruled that Trump does not have the authority to deploy the National Guard under title 10 USC section 12406. The Justice Department issues a memo asking assistant US Attorneys to work through the holidays to redact the Epstein files as they claim to have found a million new documents. The White House has taken over the Justice Department communications on social media. Plus listener questions…

The Department of Justice has announced that it will not be releasing all of the Epstein files as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but will instead release them on a rolling basis. Jack Smith testified for 8 hours behind closed doors in front of the House Judiciary Committee, saying that he amassed powerful evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump violated the law. Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino says he will leave his position at the FBI next month. And the Department of Justice asks for more time to return Daniel Richman’s materials to him. Plus listener questions…

The Department of Justice has failed to indict New York attorney Letitia James for a third time, as Daniel Richman wins a motion blocking his emails from being accessed by the government. Main Justice has filed a motion to block the testimony of whistleblower Erez Reuveni and DOJ lawyer Drew Ensign in the Alien Enemies Act contempt proceedings before DC District Judge Boasberg. Judge Xinis accuses the Justice Department of misleading the court in an order for the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and issued a follow on temporary restraining order blocking his re-arrest. The Justice Department faces a call for an internal investigation into the office of legal counsel memo allowing the boat strikes in the Caribbean.

The Department of Justice failed to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges. The FBI has arrested and charged a suspect for the pipe bombs placed at the DNC and RNC on January 5th, 2021. Jim Jordan has subpoenaed Jack Smith to appear behind closed doors after rejecting the Special Counsel’s request to testify before the House Judiciary Committee publicly. Kash Patel faces more scrutiny about his personal use of public resources after ordering an FBI detail to give his girlfriend’s inebriated friend a ride home after a night out.

The cases against Jim Comey and Letitia James have been dismissed by a judge who found that Interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed. News outlets are reporting that President Trump is weighing removing Kash Patel from his position as director of the FBI, but the administration denies those claims. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the dismissal of Trump's 2022 lawsuit against Hillary Clinton et al, and allows the $1M sanctions fine to stand. The FBI has opened an investigation into six members of Congress for reminding active duty service members and employees of the intelligence community that they do not have to obey illegal orders. Plus listener questions…

Judge Nachmanoff is tying up loose ends in the Jim Comey case by asking for final briefs on handing all the grand jury materials over to defense counsel after Judge Fitzpatrick laid out the particularized grounds that could topple the government’s case. A Department of Defense JAG lawyer was overruled by the Department of Justice over the legality of the lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean. Attorney General Pam Bondi says in a press conference that the Justice Department will “follow the law” when it comes to releasing the Epstein files pursuant to the bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump. The 11th Circuit heard arguments from Trump to revive the RICO lawsuit he filed against 41 people including HRC over the Russia investigation and the $1M sanctions levied against him and Alina Habba for filing it in the first place. Plus listener questions…

The judge reviewing the legality of Lindsay Halligan's appointment in the Comey and James cases said that a chunk of the grand jury transcripts and recordings are missing. The Department of Justice WCADAGPA Ed Martin announced pardons for all the co-conspirators and electors in the 2020 fraudulent elector scheme. The Continuing Resolution to fund the government includes a provision allowing the 8 Senators whose phone records were subpoenaed by Jack Smith to seek at least $500K in damages from the government. A criminal investigation into Russian Intelligence Community Assessment from 2016 has resulted in over 30 subpoenas for records including Pete Strzok, John Brennan, and yes, Andrew McCabe. Plus listener questions…

The South Carolina Judge weighing the legality of the appointment of Lindsey Halligan has demanded the Lindsey Halligan grand jury tapes after DOJ withheld large portions of them. A different judge in the Comey case berates Halligan for her “indict now, investigate later” approach after the DOJ failed to produce communications seized between Comey and Daniel Richman. The 11th Circuit orders Judge Aileen Cannon to rule on motions to release Volume II of Jack Smith's final report. Pam Bondi attempts to retroactively appoint Lindsey Halligan as a Special Attorney to save the sinking cases against Comey and Letitia James. Plus listener questions… Do you have questions for the pod?

Jim Comey alleges that the single FBI agent’s testimony to the grand jury in his case was tainted by privileged information, and asks the court for the grand jury transcripts. Comey has also filed a bill of particulars asking the government to clarify the charges, and has filed a motion to dismiss under the Bronston literal truth doctrine. Two assistant US attorneys have been placed on administrative leave for referencing the January 6th attack on the Capitol and Donald Trump’s Social post that led Taylor Taranto to President Obama’s neighborhood with weapons. Three words in Letitia James’ mortgage contract could tank Lindsey Halligan's entire case.

We’ve had so much news to cover that we haven’t gotten to as many listener questions as we would like. So we have gathered some of your most frequent and most pertinent questions for this Q&A bonus episode. F.B.I. Plans to Lower Recruiting Standards, Alarming Agents - The New York Times Do you have questions for the pod? 

Jim Comey and his legal team have filed their motions to dismiss his charges on selective and vindictive prosecution grounds, and Comey and Letitia James have filed motions to disqualify Lindsey Halligan. Marco Rubio gave El Salvador US government cooperators in exchange for use of their CECOT Prison. Jack Smith goes to paper in a letter to Chuck Grassley and Jim Jordan about potential Congressional testimony, and the Republican mischaracterization of his work. Trump is seeking $230M from his allies in the Justice Department as compensation for the criminal cases against him. Plus listener questions… Do you have questions for the pod?

Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted on 18 felony counts of transmitting and retaining national defense information under the Espionage Act. The judge in Comey’s case has denied the government’s motion to restrict the sharing discovery with Comey himself and other witnesses, and sets a blisteringly fast classified materials process. Jack Smith speaks out about his Trump prosecutions, and is called to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in a letter from Jim Jordan. Jeanine Pirro chalks up her first acquittal in the District of Columbia in an embarrassing loss in the case of Sidney Reid. Plus listener questions… Do you have questions for the pod?

Trump’s hand picked US Attorney Lindsay Halligan has secured an indictment of New York Attorney General Leticia James on two felony counts of fraud. Jim Comey has pled not guilty to both counts during his arraignment and indicated he’d be filing multiple motions to dismiss, including a challenge to Lindsay Halligan's appointment as US Attorney. Republican Senators have denounced Jack Smith over phone records he subpoenaed during his investigation of the January 6th, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The Department of Justice continues its losing streak, failing to secure indictments of protestors they claim assaulted federal law enforcement officers. Plus listener questions… Do you have questions for the pod?

The purge of career prosecutors at the Department of Justice continues as the regime fired a US Attorney in Sacramento hours after she reminded a Border Patrol Chief to abide by court-ordered restrictions on immigration raids. President Trump sharply escalated his attacks on the Bureau this week by falsely accusing the FBI of fomenting the violence at the Capitol on January 6th. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo this week directing agencies to arrest every person suspected of threatening or assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The Department of Justice issued a subpoena for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' travel records as Trump continues his revenge tour.

The Department of Justice installed one of Trump's personal lawyers, Lindsay Halligan as the US Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, and, four days later, she obtained a two-count indictment against former FBI Director Jim Comey for lying to Congress and Obstruction. The Trump Administration continues to imperil criminal cases with extrajudicial statements as a federal judge finds multiple Department of Justice employees may have violated local rules guaranteeing Luigi Mangione’s right to fair trial. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff Chad Mizelle and Jim Comey's son in law Troy Edwards have both resigned their positions at DOJ. Trump’s Justice Department shut down an investigation into the Border Czar Tom Homan for accepting a $50,000 cash bribe in exchange for government contracts. Plus listener questions… Do you have questions for the pod?

Former Special Counsel in the Trump investigations, Jack Smith, speaks at length about the weaponization of the department of justice at an event at George Mason University. Trump Administration officials push to fire the US Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia over his refusal to indict NYAG Tish James and former FBI Director Jim Comey. A trial jury finds a Los Angeles protestor not guilty of assaulting a Border Patrol Agent; and another assault case is dismissed in the District of Columbia. The Department of Justice quietly deletes a study on the politics of domestic violence amid calls from Todd Blanche to investigate Trump protestors.

The suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk has surrendered himself to authorities as more details emerge about him and his family. Three former top FBI officials sue the government alleging they were terminated for political reasons, and outlining the problems with purging the FBI of experts. More cases are dropped as Department of Justice prosecutors continue to fail to return indictments. The Department of Justice asks the court to keep secret the names of two people who received large payments from Jeffrey Epstein. Plus listener questions…Do you have questions for the pod?

The American Civil Liberties Union files a motion for an en banc re-hearing of Judge Boasberg’s criminal contempt opinion after a three-judge panel stayed his ruling. Attorney General Pam Bondi continues her assault on the Department of Justice by sidelining career attorneys causing every member of the Sanctuary Cities Working Group to resign. The DC US Attorney’s office fails to return indictments from federal grand juries as another judge lambasts federal prosecutors. CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Tulsi Gabbard clash over her disclosure of an undercover officer’s identity. Plus listener questions…