Fighting DOGE!
Fighting DOGE!
Ralph welcomes Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, whose group has filed eight lawsuits that have significantly slowed the Trump/Musk cabal’s attempt to dismantle the government. Then, our resident Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein reports on Public Interest Law Day at Harvard Law School and how important it is for law schools in general to step up to meet this constitutional crisis. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions!
Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the President of Public Citizen, he has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy.
The efforts in the courts are really vital to stem the illegal, unconstitutional actions of the administration, but also to show that there's a way to fight back. In these early days and months of the administration, there's been a sense that Trump is inevitable and unstoppable. And the actions in the courts, I think, have been really critical to illustrating that that's not true.
Robert Weissman
It's open season for the polluters. And of course, they're also promoting in a variety of ways a rush towards climate catastrophe by undoing the positive measures that have come recently from the Biden administration to deal with the climate crisis.
Robert Weissman
If you pull back all the enforcement rules, and you say we're not going to enforce the rules that are left over, corporations get the message. And they're going to be
more reckless, and it's a near certainty that we're going to have many more serious industrial disasters as a direct result of what they're doing at EPA and other agencies.
Robert Weissman
Bruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.
If we don't inform the public (with the law students as well as others in the lead), we're not going to have rule of law and Harvard Law School will become an irrelevancy. It will be a museum piece.
Bruce Fein
I think the country and the law students are going to pay a price. They're being very narrow and myopic with regard to their immediate preoccupation with their trade school, where they're going to work the next day, and very little given to the fact that if we don't have a country anymore, they aren’t going to have a legal career.
Bruce Fein
It's a more cowardly, timid type of law school whose explanations are still ready to be discovered. It's a real puzzle…because they have tenure, they have status, they have wealth, and they have the ability to defend themselves because they're skilled lawyers.
Ralph Nader
News 4/2/25
1. Our top stories this week are on the topic of corporate crime. First, the American Prospect reports that the Trump administration is seeking to reverse a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau case against Townstone, a mortgage brokerage firm that blatantly discouraged potential Black borrowers. According to the Prospect, Townstone’s owners Barry Sturner and David Hochberg vigorously promoted their firm though “personal-finance call-in infomercials,” on Chicago’s WGN radio station. During these infomercials, which generated 90 percent of Townstone’s business, Sturner and Hochberg “characterized the South Side of Chicago as a ‘war zone,’ downtown Chicago as a ‘jungle’ that turned on Friday and Saturday into ‘hoodlum weekend,’” and so on. As the Prospect notes, if Sturner and Hochberg were simply airing these views that would be perfectly legal, however unsavory. Instead, this program is “an informercial, which generates 90 percent of the brokerage’s leads, which the brokerage pays WGN to air, presumably punctuated at regular intervals by some phrase along the lines of ‘an equal housing lender.’” Therefore, this rhetoric was determined to have violated the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Community Reinvestment Act. The remarkable thing about this case is that it was brought by the Trump administration’s CFPB between 2017 and 2020. Townstone eventually settled the case for a little over $100,000. Yet, just last week, the Trump administration 2.0 returned the money to Townstone posting “a long press release about how ‘abusive’ and ‘unjust’ the whole case had been.” This episode highlights just how much more extreme the new Trump administration is, even compared to the old one.
2. Another outrageous case of corporate criminal leniency comes to us from Rick Claypool, a corporate crime expert at Public Citizen. For background, CNBC reports that Trump has “pardoned three co-founders of the BitMEX global cryptocurrency exchange, as well as…a former high-ranking employee.” As this piece explains, the co-founders received criminal sentences of probation…and were ordered to pay civil fines totaling $30 million,” after “Prosecutors accused the men of effectively operating BitMEX as a ‘money laundering platform’ …[and] ‘a sham.’” But Trump went beyond pardoning the corporate criminals involved. As Claypool noted, “the crypto corporation pled guilty and was sentenced in January to two years' probation,” leading Claypool to wonder whether Trump would pardon the corporation itself. His question was answered on March 29th when Law360 reported that yes, Trump pardoned the business entity. This is the logical endpoint of regarding corporations as people. Not only will individual crooks be let off the hook, the whole crooked enterprise will come out unscathed.
3. New evidence confirms the redistribution of wealth from working people to the capitalist class. A February 2025 RAND Corporation study titled “Measuring the Income Gap from 1975 to 2023” finds that, “the bottom 90 percent of workers would have earned $3.9 trillion more with..more even growth rates [since 1975],” resulting in a “cumulative amount of $79 trillion.” This study extends prior estimates by factoring in “inflation, growth in inequality, and a longer time frame.” And even more recently, an April 2025 article in the Journal of Political Economy, titled “How the Wealth Was Won: Factor Shares as Market Fundamentals,” finds that “40% of [the increase in real per capita value of corporate equity, which grew at an annual rate of 7.2% between 1989 and 2017]…was attributable to a reallocation of rewards to shareholders in a decelerating economy, primarily at the expense of labor compensation.” This study estimates “Economic growth accounted for just 25% of the increase,” and compares this period to the preceding era, “1952–88, [which] experienced only one-third as much growth in market equity, but economic growth accounted for more than 100% of it.” Taken together, these studies starkly illustrate an American economic machine built to make the rich even richer and the poor ever poorer.
4. On the other end of the criminal penalty spectrum, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they will seek the death penalty for alleged UnitedHealthcare assassin Luigi Mangione, the BBC reports. The first Trump administration saw the resumption of the federal death penalty after a 16-year hiatus; the Biden administration then issued a new moratorium and commuted the sentences of most federal death row prisoners. Since returning to power, Trump has aggressively pursued federal executions once again.
5. In more positive legal news, NBC reports French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty Monday of embezzling over €3 million of European Union funds. The National Rally party leader was sentenced to four years in prison (with two on house arrest and two suspended), a €100,000 fine, and a ban on holding political office for five years – making her ineligible for the 2027 French presidential election, which polls showed her leading. Her party will, for the time being, be led by her protégé 29-year-old Jordan Bardella. It is unclear if he will enjoy the same popularity Ms. Le Pen held. She announced that she plans to appeal the verdict, but will remain ineligible for public office unless and until she wins that case.
6. In more international news, British police last week executed a shocking raid on a congregation of the Quakers. The Guardian reports, “More than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with Tasers, forced their way into the Westminster meeting house…[and] seized attenders’ phones and laptops.” In a statement, Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said “No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory… This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest.” The stated charge is the absurd “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.” A report on the incident in Church Times adds a statement from Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship for Quakers in Britain, who said “This raid is not an isolated incident. It reflects a growing trend of excessive policing under new laws brought in by the previous government, which are now being enforced by the current administration.” Even former Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, criticized the raid, stating “There has long been a tradition in this country…that religious spaces should not be invaded by the forces of law and order unless absolutely necessary.”
7. Of course, the outrageous use of lawfare on Israel’s behalf continues in the halls of Congress as well. In a letter, Congressmen Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast – famous for his role as an American volunteer for the IDF – have announced their intention to investigate activist groups critical of the Israeli government – within Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, these NGOs are being investigated to, “ascertain whether funding they allegedly received from the Biden administration was utilized for the judicial reform protests in 2023.” These groups include the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and Blue and White Future, among others.
8. The government’s use of brute force to muzzle criticism of Israel continues to rock academia. At Harvard, the Crimson reports 82 of Harvard Law School’s 118 active professors have signed a letter which “accused the federal government of exacting retribution on lawyers and law firms for representing clients and causes opposed by President Donald Trump…described Trump’s threats as a danger to the rule of law…[and] condemned the government for intimidating individuals based on their past public statements and threatening international students with deportation over ‘lawful speech and political activism.’” The letter reads, in part, “we share a conviction that our Constitution, including its First Amendment, was designed to make dissent and debate possible without fear of government punishment. Neither a law school nor a society can properly function amidst such fear.” This letter stands in stark contrast to the recent statement by Harvard President Alan Garber, in which he pledged to “engage” with the federal government’s demands in order to protect the university’s $9 billion in federal funding.
9. Last week, we reported on the “lynching” of Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land – and how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dithered before ultimately releasing a milquetoast statement decrying violence against “artists for their work or their viewpoints,” with no mention of Palestine or even Ballal’s name. This caused so much uproar among Academy members that nearly 900 of them signed a letter “denouncing the Academy’s silence,” per Variety. The letter and full list of signatories can be found here. Shamed, the Academy leadership was forced to issue a follow-up statement expressing their “regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name.” This statement continues “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal…We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”
10. Finally, speaking of shame, the Hill reports that the shame of Congressional Republicans is giving Democrats a golden opportunity. According to this piece, “House Democrats are ramping up their aggressive strategy of conducting town halls in Republican-held districts, vying to exploit the GOP’s advised moratorium on the events to make inroads with frustrated voters, pick up battleground seats, and flip control of the House in next year’s midterms.” One Democrat, Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign co-chair Ro Khanna, has held three town halls in Republican-held districts, whose main takeaway was “People are mad.” Republicans who have bucked the GOP leadership and held town halls anyway, such as Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman and Indiana congresswoman Victoria Spartz have found themselves looking down the barrel of constituents furious at the conduct of the administration in general and DOGE in particular. This, combined with the upset Democratic victories in recent special elections, has the GOP on a defensive backfoot for the first time in months. Could we be looking at the beginning of a Democratic tea party? Only time will tell.
This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven’t Heard.
Discussion about this episode
Get money out of political campaigns , stop the genocide on Gaza , Booker stands up , next day he votes to continue arming Israel. Schumer it's time to retire. We are an orphaned party . Unclean hands everywhere
" For the love of money is the root of all evil." Audit/ end the Federal Reserve. https://doge-tracker.com/
Follow the $$$$ should be at the first item of interest for all Americans concerned, with all the deceptive misuse/ theft of our tax dollars by various entities, especially at the "local" level. One item of interest is the rampant nationwide real estate tax fraud that has been identified, with trillions of dollars being "pocketed" for years, by "local" tax appraisal district board personnel. Homeowners are loosing their homes as a result of this "created" greed. WE THE PEOPLE, are being "fleeced", with no sign of justice for the masses. All the while the bankster "sharks" continue to feed off the "created" $$$$ hemorrhage of this country.
A shocking cautionary historical recount:
2012 was a pivotal year for the European Union (EU) and hopefully the USA is NOT in line to fall victim, as the EU has, by the "banking cartels". Thank you for listening. Peace and prayers be with us all.
https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/eu-living-in-the-bankstas-paradise
Thanks for the program! I'm grateful for all the demonstrations throughout the US on today and regularly, we should have lists of demonstrations being held to oppose Trump in real time with meet up groups looking to stop his theft of our government and Republic.
The economic effects of the Trump tariffs have universally been decried by economists as unworkable and destructive; Galbraith said that the only way they could make them work would be with a top notch team dedicated to making tariffs just, with all types of incentives to get factories and other producers up and running in the US. We are bound to see some capitulation by a number of foreign countries but unlikely to amount to the level to stave off an economic calamity. Trump is looking to create chaos, he could start bombing Iran this spring with only chaos and calamity following. He wants emergencies and disasters to increase his powers. He is making so many people angry that he could be assassinated as Ray McGovern has said. As much as I'd like to see a resolution to the Ukraine-Russia war, Trump rarely does the hard work to resolve conflicts.
The Democrats appear to continue to be totally out of touch. Look at Congressman Himes response to my plea for diplomatic resolutions to the Ukraine war, also he's failed to call out the Israeli genocide and will always be a lapdog for them:
"Thank you for contacting me about Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine. I appreciate your thoughts and am grateful that you took the time to reach out to me.
"More than three years after Russia launched its illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to stand resolute with the support of the United States and the free world. At every turn, they have defied the grim predictions of their imminent defeat and occupation, exacting devastating costs on Russia’s military and demonstrating extraordinary courage and patriotism—qualities that seem entirely foreign to President Trump. Instead of standing with democracy, Trump has chosen to align himself with authoritarian aggressors, fundamental American principles.
"The United States has led the world in providing Ukraine with military aid, advanced weaponry, economic assistance, and humanitarian support for refugees. Trump and his allies seek to cut off this lifeline—a betrayal that would damage America’s global standing and embolden our adversaries. Abandoning Ukraine at this critical moment would send a dangerous signal: the United States is no longer willing to stand up for freedom and democracy.
"While we must work toward ending this war, peace cannot come at the cost of Ukraine’s sovereignty or security. A just and lasting resolution must make clear that the global community will not tolerate the redrawing of borders through military aggression. I urge my Republican colleagues to reject Trump’s reckless and shortsighted stance—history will not look kindly on those who choose authoritarianism over principle. Make no mistake: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are watching our every move.
"The pause in military aid and intelligence to Ukraine was unnecessary and unjust, but I am relieved that it was brief. Ukraine, which did not start this war, has shown good faith by agreeing to a ceasefire. The burden is now on Putin. I hope that Russia will likewise agree to a ceasefire, and the Administration should make crystal clear that if it does not, we will redouble our support to our Ukrainian partners. Defense of a rules-based international order from authoritarian assault demands nothing less.
"The United States has a clear moral obligation to stand with our NATO allies to provide Ukraine with the support needed to drive Russian forces out once and for all. As Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I remain committed to working with my colleagues to continue to advance support for our ally to help Ukraine secure a decisive victory. Now is not the time for hesitation. Now is the time to stand with Ukraine—firmly, unapologetically, and until victory is won.
"Sincerely,"
The chasm between the Blue cult and the Red cult seems to be unbridgeable.
I really appreciate In Case You Haven't Heard, however perhaps because I'm a septuagenarian Vietnam combat veteran whose service involved hand grenade- caused hearing loss I find the background "music"/droning making it difficult to concentrate and hear what Francisco is saying, and I think Ralph's audience contains a not insignificant number of listeners of mature years, even those not having been in combat, with age-related hearing loss (not to mention that I don't understand- What is the purpose of obfuscating with that noise anyway?)
Thank you for considering my concern and request that in future we'll have the pleasure of being able to enjoy and concentrate exclusively on Francisco's voice.
Yes, please have a complete program on listener questions. Count me in!
I think Ralph should avoid calling names Trump and Musk names, not because they're not creative, amusing, and apropos, or that I'm afraid of offending them, but because Trump is criticized - I think even at least once by Ralph - for, adolescent-like, making and calling people names so I think it's unseemly for someone of Ralph's stature and on behalf of his loyal followers, to do likewise.
Where is the Bar Association? As far as Harvard’s administration lacking cojones…unsurprising no? Once corporatefied you care more about comfort, security and power than you care for any elevated values. Character, dignity, deeply principled, doing ‘right’ action pales to self advancement, playing it safe, staying acceptable to the Power Fraternity. Who in administrations loves the educative process and mission? Intuition suggests that we lost big when we stopped the draft. It separated people from their civic responsibility for monitoring the nation’s waywardness with war. A collective consciousness of death - our children, spouses, parents killed in action - has been eclipsed by corporate materialism. We no longer feel the nature of our government. Living with a keen awareness of death changes priorities. Sharpens appreciation of what really matters.
"We need to unlearn the weird idea that a draft is a tool of peace. Drafts facilitate wars. The warmongers want one. The Democrats want women forced to register. The Vietnam War not only persisted for many years during the draft, killing far more people than any U.S. war since, but also continued for two years after the draft ended. Yes, people opposed a war with a draft who say nothing about a proxy war or a drone war, but I’d like to use education and organizing to try to get them active before resorting to a tool that kills millions and risks apocalypse." https://davidswanson.org/war-and-murder-since-vietnam/
Yes
I also sent an email.
Bruce Fein is a sheeple in wolf-clothing.
https://www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/p/fighting-doge
