Category: Podcast

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OA701: Fox’s Defamation F-Tussle and the Texas Broodmare Tax

Today, Liz and Andrew break down two stories that are all over the news: a proposed new bill in Texas that is an assault on both marriage equality and families. And then we have an update on how Dominion is doing in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News. You won’t want to miss it!

Notes
Texas HB 2889
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB02889I.htm

TX Biennial Property Tax Report 2020-2021
https://openargs.com/wp-content/uploads/Biennial-Property-Tax-Report-Texas.pdf

2005 IRS bulletin – Frivolous Tax arguments
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb05-14.pdf

2007 IRS bulletin – more frivolous Tax arguments
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb07-14.pdf

Flora v. US, 362 U.S. 145 (1960)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=13305625317215905

Helvering v. Mitchell, 303 U.S. 391 (1938)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1082206999326140100

US v. Windsor, 570 U.S. 744 (2013)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15904210835021146815

Equal Dignity for  Married Taxpayers Act
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3833/text?r=98&s=1

-Support us on Patreon at: patreon.com/law

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-For show-related questions, check out the Opening Arguments Wiki, which now has its own Twitter feed!  @oawiki

-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com

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OA699: Will Scumbag Payday Lenders Use the Supreme Court to Crush Liz Warren’s Dreams??

Today, Liz and Andrew take a deep dive into Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, a case that the Supreme Court just granted certiorari to review. Is the conservative Roberts court going to gut Liz Warren’s signature accomplishment, the CFPB? Listen and find out!

(Yes, Andrew screwed up the numbering so you got episode #700 before #699… now everything should be good!)

Notes
CFPB v. CFSAA cert petition and 5th Circuit opinion
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-448/246429/20221114155607407_No.%20CFPB%20et%20al.%20v.%20CFSA%20et%20al.pdf

Responsible lending
https://www.responsiblelending.org/research-publication/fact-v-fiction-truth-about-payday-lending-industry-claims

The Victims of Payday Lending
https://www.responsiblelending.org/issues/victims-payday

OA 126
https://openargs.com/oa126-mick-mulvaney-consumer-financial-protection-bureau/

12 C.F.R. § 1041.8
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1041/8/

12 U.S.C. § 5511
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/5511

Seila Law, LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 591 U.S. 207 (2020)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=14557349188638541514

12 U.S.C. 5497
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/5497

OPM v. Richmond, 496 U.S. 414 (1990)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=1013607894853666546

Kate Stith, Congress’s Power of the Purse, 97 Yale L.J. 1343 (1988)
https://openyls.law.yale.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.13051/16554/62_97YaleLJ1343_June1988_.pdf?sequence=2

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OA700: Rumors Of Trump’s Testimony In Strzok Suit May Be Greatly Exaggerated

You may have seen the news accounts that a court ordered Donald Trump (and FBI director Chris Wray) to be deposed in connection with a lawsuit. Well, today, Liz and Andrew break down the DOJ’s ongoing battle with Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Why is the government still fighting this? Will they really get to depose Trump? Listen and find out!

Notes
5 U.S.C. 552a
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/552a

Lisa Page’s story to Molly Jong-Fast
https://www.thedailybeast.com/lisa-page-speaks-theres-no-fathomable-way-i-have-committed-any-crime-at-all

Hatch Act
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2015-title5/html/USCODE-2015-title5-partIII-subpartF-chap73-subchapIII.htm#:~:text=%C2%A77321.,political%20processes%20of%20the%20Nation

Strzok response
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963.88.0.pdf

EO 13233
https://sgp.fas.org/news/2001/11/eo-pra.html

Strzok opposition
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963.100.0.pdf

Strzok filing re motion to quash subpoenas for Trump and Wray, apex doctrine
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963/gov.uscourts.dcd.209963.88.0.pdf

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OA698: Will Clarence Thomas Break the Internet? (Probably Not.)

Liz and Andrew break down a much-requested case, Gonzalez v. Google, that the Supreme Court just heard on oral argument. Will it break the Internet? Listen and find out!

Notes
Legal Eagle video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzNo5lZCq5M&ab_channel=LegalEagle

 OA 390
https://openargs.com/oa390-trumps-war-on-twitter-a-deep-dive-on-section-230/

OA 451
https://openargs.com/oa451-section-230-and-tulsis-transphobia/

47 U.S.C. § 230
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/230

Malwarebytes, Inc. v. Enigma Software, 5902 U.S. ____ (2020)
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/19-1284_869d.pdf

Google Opp. Brief
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/252127/20230112144706745_Gonzalez%20v.%20Google%20Brief%20for%20Respondent%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Petitioners’ Brief
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/247780/20221130182721608_GonzalezPetMerits.pdf

Respondents’ Brief
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/252127/20230112144706745_Gonzalez%20v.%20Google%20Brief%20for%20Respondent%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Petitioners’ Reply
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/254251/20230207191257813_GonzalezRepyMeritsPrinted.pdf

Government Brief
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249441/20221207203557042_21-1333tsacUnitedStates.pdf

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-And finally, remember that you can email us at openarguments@gmail.com


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OA697: Feelin’ the Brn(ovich)

Today is one of those good news/bad news episodes. In good news, Arizona has shined some light on a report that election denier Mark Brnovich tried to bury regarding (nonexistent) voter fraud and the 2020 election. In bad news, Florida is trying to overturn the Supreme Court because Ron DeSantis hates the press. And in great news… well, you’ll just have to listen and find out!

Notes
OA 688
https://openargs.com/oa688-oh-no-the-privilege-is-mine/

Florida HB 951
https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/951/BillText/Filed/PDF

Florida HB 991
https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/991/BillText/Filed/PDF

Branzburg v. Hayes, 408 U.S. 665 (1972)
https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=11598860258825518787

Federal flag bill
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-120/pdf/STATUTE-120-Pg572.pdf#page=1

FL flag bill
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0720/Sections/0720.304.html

AZ Appellate decision in Lake v. Hobbs
https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Lake-COA-Ruling.pdf

 Liz Wonkette on Kari Lake and Ryan Heath
https://www.wonkette.com/breaking-kari-lake-still-not-governor

Executive Summary
https://mcusercontent.com/cc1fad182b6d6f8b1e352e206/files/4ca5c5d9-3254-2b94-dbd8-bd2a6ea8b7c3/Election_Review_Summary.pdf

Email draft correcting Brnovich
https://mcusercontent.com/cc1fad182b6d6f8b1e352e206/files/8295e52f-b336-c17e-8cbd-3c0255c99ab6/Kanefield_Fann_Document.01.pdf

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OA696: In Which James O’Keefe Pretends to Be A Journalist

Today, Liz and Andrew visit the strange world of James O’Keefe and his agitprop outfit, Project Veritas. Along the way we’ll learn about a bunch of cases, the law of prior restraint, and much, much more!

Notes
Project Veritas $22 million
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272894856

Federal Docket O’Keefe v. Twitter
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/59899639/okeefe-iii-v-twitter-inc/?filed_after=&filed_before=&entry_gte=&entry_lte=&order_by=desc

NY Appellate docs – O’Keefe v. Twitter
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=OihBJQsmc7aFb4qIIdOKeA==

Liz ATL on O’Keefe-CNN
https://abovethelaw.com/2021/04/project-veritas-gonna-sue-twitter-for-defamatory-section-230-censorship-and-first-amendment-assault-or-something/

Project Veritas Docket (00813)
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/61377333/parties/in-re-search-warrant-dated-november-5-2021/

Project Veritas Board of Directors
https://www.projectveritas.com/news/statement-from-the-project-veritas-board-of-directors/

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OA695: Ken Paxton Isn’t the Boss of You

Today, Liz and Andrew tackle some listener feedback, resume their discussion of the crime-fraud exception, and end with perhaps Ken Paxton’s craziest lawsuit (and that’s saying a lot)!

Notes
Federalist Papers No. 68
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed68.asp

Crime/fraud NYT story
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/politics/trump-lawyer-classified-documents-investigation.html

Liz ATL of Paxton’s ethics and counter-investigation
https://abovethelaw.com/2022/05/tx-ag-ken-paxton-launches-bogus-investigation-of-state-bar-still-winds-up-with-ethics-lawsuit/

Texas v. Garland
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.373284/gov.uscourts.txnd.373284.4.0_1.pdf

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OA694: Dominion v. Fox: Defamation Suits Are Hard But Shutting Up is Harder

Today is one of those shows you’ll want to share around. EVERYONE is talking about the bombshell revelations from Fox News, but only Liz and Andrew can help you understand how we got here and what it all means!

Notes
Original Dominion-Fox Complaint
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20527880-dominion-v-fox-news-complaint

Dominion lawsuit against OAN
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/21039565/dominion-oan-complaint.pdf

Dominion Motion for Summary Judgment (MSJ)
https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/redacted-documents-in-dominion-fox-news-case/dca5e3880422426f/full.pdf

DE State docket
https://courtconnect.courts.delaware.gov/cc/cconnect/ck_public_qry_doct.cp_dktrpt_docket_report?case_id=N21C-03-257&begin_date=&end_date=#dockets

Fox Corp MSJ
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Redacted-Public-Version-Fox-Corp-Opening-MSJ-Brief.pdf

Fox News MSJ
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Redacted-Public-Version-FNN-Opening-MSJ-Brief.pdf

Fox News anti-SLAPP counterclaim
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PUBLIC-VERSION-FNNs-First-Amended-Counterclaim-Accepted.pdf

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OA693: Is It A Good Thing When Your Lawyer Is Subpoenaed by a Grand Jury to Testify Against You? (No.)

Today is a Rapid Response Friday, and Liz and Andrew break down all the developments with the two grand juries convened by Jack Smith to investigate Donald Trump’s various crimes. Oh, and we also analyze the released portions of the Fulton County grand jury report which reveals a bit more than you might think!

We’ve also learned that a bunch of Trump lawyers have been subpoenaed to testify or otherwise the subject of grand jury questions, and you may be wondering how that’s possible, and we walk you through when privilege is.. not privilege!

Notes
Unredacted portions of Fulton County SPGJ Report
https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23683158/2022-ex-000024-ex-parte-order-of-the-judge-5.pdf

FRE 501
https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/rule_501

Bobb says she’s not a lawyer in documents case
https://www.salon.com/2022/10/03/attorney-lawyers-up–and-says-shes-willing-to-cooperate-with-doj-in-mar-a-lago-case-report/

 NYT Epshteyn story
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/us/politics/trump-lawyer-classified-documents-investigation.html

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OA692: Mike Pence Can’t Testify Against Trump, ‘Cause He’s a Senator Now!

In today’s episode, Andrew and Liz briefly discuss the breaking news that Mike Pence intends to assert the “speech or debate clause” as a reason to protect insurrectionists, delve into Ken Paxton’s latest settlement, and update you on the World’s Dumbest Supreme Court litigants!

Notes
Paxton settlement
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23607998-211027_mtn-to-abate

Whistleblower Petition
https://thetexan.news/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Paxton-Whistleblower-Lawsuit-Documents-Through-Feb.-9-Filing.pdf

Appellate court decision
https://cases.justia.com/texas/third-court-of-appeals/2021-03-21-00161-cv.pdf?ts=1634818950

Paxton bar complaint
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D8OH23E-E4hD7Bgn0cY_zEQxdqFtF8u5/view

Webster dismissal
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/executive-management/SBOT%20v.%20BW%20Letter%20Ruling.pdf

Raland J. Brunson cert petition
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-380/243739/20221027152243533_20221027-152110-95757954-00007015.pdf

Petition for Rehearing
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-380/253190/20230126114616761_rehearing%2022-380.pdf

Supreme Court Rule 44
https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/supct/rule_44

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