Legal News
Reports on lawmaking, constitutional issues, and court cases. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary and legal analysis.
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- Opinion
Senator Wants Federal Court to Block Kavanaugh’s Confirmation
Democratic senators are pulling out every stop to block Brett Kavanaugh from joining the Supreme Court. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., says he will seek a federal court injunction to, as Politico described it, “stop a final vote on Brett Kavanaugh, asserting an obstruction of his constitutional duty to advise and consent on nominees.” According to…Thomas Jipping -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Female High School Friend of Kavanaugh Says Latest Allegation ‘False,’ ‘Absurd’
A woman and friend who knew Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a high school student says allegations of sexual misconduct from a third accuser are “false.” “This claim is absolutely false and absurd,” Meghan McCaleb, a friend of Kavanaugh’s since high school, told The Daily Signal of allegations from Julie Swetnick, which were made…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Arizona Democrats, Defense Attorneys Heap Praise on Senate’s Chosen Prosecutor to Question Kavanaugh, Ford
A slew of attorneys and politicians on both sides of the political aisle have endorsed the Arizona prosecutor who will question Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday. Arizona sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell will address Kavanaugh and Ford Thursday, after the committee’s Republican members decided to…Grace Carr -
- News
If Kavanaugh Nomination Fails, America Won’t See a New Conservative Supreme Court Justice ‘in Our Lifetime,’ Says Newt Gingrich
Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said America won’t see another conservative Supreme Court justice in this lifetime, if the GOP fails to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the bench. Gingrich cited a Monday incident with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, in which he and his wife Heidi Cruz were verbally accosted at a Washington,…Nick Givas -
- Opinion
Why the Kavanaugh Process Became a Mad Political Circus
To say that the Senate confirmation process for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has turned into a circus is to give circuses a bad name. Let’s review some of the weird stuff that has happened. Democratic senators demanded that the Judiciary Committee hearing be postponed so they could study more material about a nominee they…Thomas Jipping -
- Opinion
Responding to My Critics on the Kavanaugh Allegations
My last column elicited tens of thousands of comments—from the thoughtful to the sick—on the internet and Twitter. In the column, I made two points. One was that the accusation made against Brett Kavanaugh—for which there is no evidence, that was made by an anti-Trump activist, that concerns an event that allegedly took place in…Dennis Prager -
- News
White House Open to Deborah Ramirez Testifying on Her Kavanaugh Allegation
The White House is open to giving the second woman who accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault the opportunity to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “Certainly we would be open to that, and that process could take place on Thursday,” Sanders said Tuesday…Grace Carr -
- Opinion
The Daily Signal Podcast: The Problems With the Kavanaugh Allegations
The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood has some questions about the credibility of the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, and she joins the podcast to discuss. Plus: We celebrate fall by talking football—college vs. NFL, and whether it should become a safer sport or not. We also cover these stories: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders…Katrina Trinko -
- News
Kavanaugh Assails Accusations as ‘Smears, Pure and Simple,’ and Won’t Withdraw
In a letter sent Monday to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh categorically and unequivocally rejected a pair of accusations of sexual misconduct. “[Sunday] night, another false and uncorroborated accusation from 35 years ago was published,” Kavanaugh wrote in response to the newest allegation, by…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
The Media’s War on Brett Kavanaugh Hits Another Low
The media just keeps stooping lower and lower. Reporters had already discredited themselves through their often reckless coverage of the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Now, we’re hit with one of the most irresponsible stories yet. On Sunday, The New Yorker published an article reporting that Senate Democrats…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
Sen. Hirono Suggests Democrats Could Hold Supreme Court Seat Open Until 2020
A Democrat senator suggested that if President Donald Trump withdraws Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, Democrats could hold the Supreme Court seat open until after the 2020 election. “The world does not come to an end because we don’t [approve] all of the nominees,” Sen. Mazie Hirono said on Politico’s “Off Message” podcast last week, when asked…Troy Worden -
- Opinion
Sen. Hatch: Democrats’ Approach to Kavanaugh Allegations Makes Clear ‘Objective Here Is Not Truth, but Politics’
Last night, Senate Democrats continued their smear campaign against Judge Brett Kavanaugh with a thinly sourced article accusing Kavanaugh of conduct that no eyewitness can even corroborate. Rather than bringing the matter to the attention of committee investigators, Democrats coordinated with members of the media to drop the story in the most dramatic and damaging…Sen. Orrin Hatch -
- News
Kavanaugh Decries Last-Minute Smear as New Accuser Emerges
A second woman shared her account of alleged sexual misconduct on the part of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Sunday night, claiming that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party in college in either 1983 or 1984. The accuser, Deborah Ramirez, attended Yale University with Kavanaugh in the mid-1980s. The White House affirmed its…Kevin Daley -
- Opinion
We Hear You: After 35 Years, Christine Blasey Ford Accuses Brett Kavanaugh
Editor's note: A California woman's allegation that she was sexually assaulted by the current Supreme Court nominee when they were teens in the early 1980s is the talk of the nation. We're turning over today's mailbag to some of your responses to our coverage, including the Senate hearings before the accusation landed. Write us at…Ken McIntyre -
- News
‘A Man of Honor, Integrity’: More High School Female Friends Defend Kavanaugh
Women who have known Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh personally and/or professionally gathered Friday to assert that the allegations of sexual abuse against him are false. “Those of us who know Brett best, now and in high school, know that he is a man of honor, integrity, and compassion. He has always been a good…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
McConnell Predicts Senate Will Confirm Kavanaugh for Supreme Court
“Here’s what I want to tell you: Judge Kavanaugh will be on the United States Supreme Court,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday morning to conservatives assembled at the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington. The Kentucky Republican counseled the crowd to “keep the faith” regarding nominee Brett Kavanaugh, vowing that the Senate won’t…Troy Worden -
- Opinion
Media Misses: Kavanaugh Allegations Show Bias at All-Time High
The left is in full meltdown mode over the recent allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. But surprisingly, some in the mainstream media are criticizing Democrats for the handling of the situation. Plus: CNN, MSNBC, and Politico use a clip of a joke Kavanaugh made during a 2015 speech to suggest credence to Christine…Ginny Montalbano -
- Opinion
There’s No Reason to Delay the Kavanaugh Vote Any Further
“Guess who’s perpetuating all of these kinds of actions?” Sen. Mazie Hirono explained, boiling down the Senate Democrats’ position on Brett Kavanaugh. “It’s the men in this country. I just want to say to the men in this country, just shut up. And step up. Do the right thing for a change.” Demanding an entire…David Harsanyi -
- Opinion
The Daily Signal Podcast: Exclusive Interview With Female High School Friend, Supporter of Kavanaugh
Washington remains fixated this week on the allegations brought against Judge Brett Kavanaugh—but in the midst of it all, 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in high school have come to his defense. Daily Signal reporter Rachel del Guidice spoke to one of those women, and she shares exclusive audio from that interview. Plus: A Michigan…Katrina Trinko -
- News
Protesters Swarm Sen. Grassley’s Office, Insist Kavanaugh Accuser Deserves ‘Trauma-Informed’ Investigation of Charge
Protesters who swarmed the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday say the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teens should not have to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Grassley, R-Iowa, is chairman of the committee, which is weighing the nomination of the appeals court…Rachel del Guidice