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Brad Heath

@bradheath.bsky.social

54K followers 470 following 1.4K posts

DC reporter for Reuters on crime, justice and investigations. Data, documents and "convoluted KGB style back-door" stuff. Lawyer, but not yours. 202-527-9709, [email protected]

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Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · Nov 12

How to reach me:

Email: [email protected]
Phone, Signal: 202 527-9709
WhatsApp: 703 835-7998

1333 H St., NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005

Reposted by Brad Heath

Jeff Asher @jeffasher.bsky.social · 5h

DC violent crimes rolling over 12 months with data through September as published by the FBI today (September data is probably slightly underreported right now). I don't really see any clear change in the city's pattern post-federal intervention.

Reposted by Brad Heath

Gabriel Malor @gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 5h

6th Cir., 2-1, holds that it did not violate the First Amendment for school to require two students to remove their "Let's Go Brandon" sweatshirts because the school reasonably understood the slogan to be vulgar.

Yes, the maj. op. cites George Carlin.

www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf...

Although we are mindful of what the en banc Third Circuit said, we decline to view
Justice Alito’s concurrence in Morse as controlling. But even if we did, it would make no
difference to the outcome of our case because nothing in that concurrence overruled Fraser sub
silentio. As such, Fraser requires our conclusion that a school may prohibit students from
wearing a slogan reasonably understood as profane or vulgar. In the schoolhouse, vulgarity
trumps politics. And the protection for political speech doesn’t give a student carte blanche to
use vulgarity at school—even when that vulgarity is cloaked in innuendo or euphemism. Here,
the school administrators reasonably interpreted the “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan as being vulgar
speech that “a school may categorically prohibit” despite its political message. Barr, 538 F.3d at
563–64. Requesting that students remove clothing with that slogan didn’t violate the First and
Fourteenth Amendments.

Reposted by Brad Heath

tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: The Trump administration has blocked or slowed almost $28 billion in federal aid since the shutdown began, largely harming Democratic-led cities, congressional districts and states, underscoring how the president has weaponized a fiscal stalemate

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Reposted by Brad Heath

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 23h

Extraordinary NYT story:

Trump’s DOJ pressured out another US Attorney in WESTERN Virginia for finding that a grand jury probe his bosses demanded was unwarranted.

They wanted a case discrediting the Russia probe — evidence be damned. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/u...

U.S. Attorney Was Forced Out After Clashes Over How to Handle Russia Inquiry

www.nytimes.com

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 23h

On September 28, soldiers from West Virginia patrolling D.C.'s Navy Yard area observed a man masturbating in public.

The soldiers "advised [him] to stop."

Police officers arrested him a little while later after they said they saw him peeing in front of a restaurant.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 23h

In late September, soldiers helped stop a man who allegedly threw a bicycle down the escalator at the Foggy Bottom metro station, then jumped the fare gate. (He also complained about Metro's shuttle service.)

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 23h

That Monday, police approached a man suspected of kicking the glass door of a McDonald's until it broke. He tried to walk away from the officers, but stopped when National Guardsmen cut him off.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 23h

The previous Sunday, a 7-11 manager flagged down soldiers to report that a man who tried to pay $2 for $4.50 worth of pizza. He also threw pizza at the manager, then his friend stole two slices of pizza.

Soldiers pursued and detained both accused pizza thieves.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 23h

National Guard soldiers are a frequent sight in D.C.

Police reports tell some of the story of what they're doing.

On Sunday, soldiers saw a man who had started a small fire threatening firefighters who tried to extinguish it. He also threw a can. The Guard did not stop this, but witnessed it.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 1d

The Assad government carried out a two-year clandestine operation to truck thousands of bodies from one of Syria’s largest known mass graves to a secret location more than an hour away in the remote desert, a Reuters investigation has found.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Reposted by Brad Heath

Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 1d

JUST IN: Comey confirms plan to challenge legality of Trump's appointment of Lindsey Halligan as US Attorney for EDVA. Cites rulings in NJ/NV disqualifying US attorneys there. Motion coming Oct. 20. Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

ComeyHalliganNotice101425

www.documentcloud.org

Reposted by Brad Heath

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 1d

JUST IN: The 3rd Circuit *denies* a push by national GOP to reconsider ruling on misdated mail ballots in Pa.

Judge Emil Bove may have cast his first vote here in dissent of the decision -- and plans to write about it later. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Reposted by Brad Heath

Allison Morrow @amorrow.bsky.social · 1d

Incredible reporting and writing from the CNN investigative team on the scammy world of crypto ATMs

Americans are losing millions to scammers at crypto ATMs. Here’s how companies profit

Companies often fail to refund money to victims and aggressively fight police to claw back scam money seized from machines.

Reposted by Brad Heath

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general and former head of President Trump’s criminal defense team, has helped usher in his retribution campaign. But he faces anger on the right for resisting some of the most extreme measures.

Part Enabler, Part Buffer: The Bind of the Justice Dept.’s No. 2

Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, has helped usher in President Trump’s retribution campaign. But he faces anger on the right for resisting some of the most extreme measures.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 2d

U.S. companies and consumers are bearing the brunt of the country's new import tariffs, early indications show, contradicting assertions by President Donald Trump and complicating the Federal Reserve's fight against inflation.

www.reuters.com/world/us/how...

Reposted by Brad Heath

Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 3d

Here is our full story that Vance is dismissing, with primary source documents showing Trump cabinet members with multiple primary-residence mortgages

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 4d

The husband of former Rep. Cori Bush is asking a court to throw out fraud charges filed against him in D.C.

His lawyers say he "would not be under indictment if he were not married to an outspoken former Democratic elected official."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Reposted by Brad Heath

Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 5d

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 5d

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 5d

frontpages.freedomforum.org/gallery

frontpages.freedomforum.org

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 5d

For most of upstate New York, it seems, Letitia James' indictment wasn't front-page news. It didn't make page one in Rochester, Syracuse and a bunch of smaller papers. The Buffalo News put it below the fold. Utica's paper (where I worked) led with a story about her office annoucing drug charges.

Reposted by Brad Heath

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 5d

“Based on the government’s allegations, James has paid about $594 less in interest per year, or roughly $50 less a month, over the last five years than she would have paid had she characterized the purchase as an investment property.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Grand jury indicts N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump opponent, on bank fraud charges

James, a Democrat, has clashed with President Donald Trump after she brought civil charges against him in New York.

www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Brad Heath

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 5d

"30-year-old conservative lawyer and activist who is Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which deals with federal employee whistleblower complaints and discrimination" cancelled his colleague's hotel room so she would be forced to stay with him.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

In late July, Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, arrived at a Ritz-Carlton in Orlando with a lower-ranking female colleague and others from their department. When the group reached the front desk, the woman learned she didn’t have a hotel room.

Ingrassia then informed her that she would be staying with him, according to five administration officials familiar with the episode. Eventually the woman discovered that Ingrassia had arranged ahead of time to have her hotel room canceled so she would have to stay with him, three of those officials said.

Reposted by Brad Heath

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 5d

Important discovery fight taking shape in Kilmar Abrego Garcia's criminal case.

The question: Can the government assert privilege to avoid handing over documents that may be relevant to a defendant's vindictive prosecution claim?

Abrego's counsel says no.

www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

www.documentcloud.org

Reposted by Brad Heath

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 6d

NOTABLE: Lindsey Halligan requested that a summons be issued for Letitia James to appear in court.

She did not request an arrest warrant.

Criminal cover sheet showing that summons, not arrest warrant, was requested for Tish James