David Kurtz
@davidkurtz.bsky.social
TPM editor at large + all things Morning Memo: https://morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.com/
Signal: davidkurtz.88
Proton: [email protected]
Signal: davidkurtz.88
Proton: [email protected]
Story updated with the key exchange between Judge Nachmanoff and prosecutor
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/due-to-...
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/due-to-...
November 19, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Story updated with the key exchange between Judge Nachmanoff and prosecutor
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/due-to-...
talkingpointsmemo.com/news/due-to-...
Judge's response is: Read the discovery order.
The discovery order *agreed to by the parties* already contemplates this issue and provides a mechanism for it, in the first footnote:
Judge's response www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Discovery order: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
The discovery order *agreed to by the parties* already contemplates this issue and provides a mechanism for it, in the first footnote:
Judge's response www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Discovery order: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
November 4, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Judge's response is: Read the discovery order.
The discovery order *agreed to by the parties* already contemplates this issue and provides a mechanism for it, in the first footnote:
Judge's response www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Discovery order: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
The discovery order *agreed to by the parties* already contemplates this issue and provides a mechanism for it, in the first footnote:
Judge's response www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Discovery order: www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Former Teen Vogue politics editor Allegra Kirkland pays homage to ... what ... OUUUUCH:
talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/what-we...
talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/what-we...
November 4, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Former Teen Vogue politics editor Allegra Kirkland pays homage to ... what ... OUUUUCH:
talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/what-we...
talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/what-we...
VanWie, the supervisory agent in the case, is emerging as a potentially key witness. In a footnote to a filing 2 weeks ago, AG's lawyers described the U.S. attorney's account of VanWie re-opening the criminal investigation under pressure from DHS HQ and that it was “directed by Headquarters.”
October 29, 2025 at 10:01 PM
VanWie, the supervisory agent in the case, is emerging as a potentially key witness. In a footnote to a filing 2 weeks ago, AG's lawyers described the U.S. attorney's account of VanWie re-opening the criminal investigation under pressure from DHS HQ and that it was “directed by Headquarters.”
In the midst of raging discovery dispute, the US attorney in Abrego Garcia criminal case revealed to the judge today that he himself just obtained *yesterday* from HSI agent John VanWie in Baltimore "a significant number of documents, almost all of which the [prosecutor] did not previously have."
October 29, 2025 at 10:01 PM
In the midst of raging discovery dispute, the US attorney in Abrego Garcia criminal case revealed to the judge today that he himself just obtained *yesterday* from HSI agent John VanWie in Baltimore "a significant number of documents, almost all of which the [prosecutor] did not previously have."
Some 🔥🔥🔥 from Abrego Garcia, calling out DOJ stonewalling on discovery into his vindictive prosecution claim and zeroing in on DAG Todd Blanche as a key witness.
Looming over all this: If govt succeeds in removing Abrego Garcia to Liberia, the criminal case becomes moot, which might be the point.
Looming over all this: If govt succeeds in removing Abrego Garcia to Liberia, the criminal case becomes moot, which might be the point.
October 24, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Some 🔥🔥🔥 from Abrego Garcia, calling out DOJ stonewalling on discovery into his vindictive prosecution claim and zeroing in on DAG Todd Blanche as a key witness.
Looming over all this: If govt succeeds in removing Abrego Garcia to Liberia, the criminal case becomes moot, which might be the point.
Looming over all this: If govt succeeds in removing Abrego Garcia to Liberia, the criminal case becomes moot, which might be the point.
After slotting in the Monica Lewinsky scandal as a key moment in the history of the White House, it only get worse. Much worse:
October 24, 2025 at 2:52 PM
After slotting in the Monica Lewinsky scandal as a key moment in the history of the White House, it only get worse. Much worse:
The webpage includes a “Major Events Timeline” that purports to be a history of the White House itself. It begins normally enough with the building’s design and construction, its reconstruction after the War of 1812, and other historical highlights until … it comes to a screeching halt in 1998:
October 24, 2025 at 2:52 PM
The webpage includes a “Major Events Timeline” that purports to be a history of the White House itself. It begins normally enough with the building’s design and construction, its reconstruction after the War of 1812, and other historical highlights until … it comes to a screeching halt in 1998:
... and Letitia James wants the court to order Halligan to preserve the Signal chat:
October 23, 2025 at 9:40 PM
... and Letitia James wants the court to order Halligan to preserve the Signal chat:
Letitia James cites Lindsey Halligan's Signal chat with @annabower.bsky.social in asking the court to clamp down on "any further disclosures by government attorneys and agents of investigative and case materials, and statements to the media
and public ..." www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
and public ..." www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
October 23, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Letitia James cites Lindsey Halligan's Signal chat with @annabower.bsky.social in asking the court to clamp down on "any further disclosures by government attorneys and agents of investigative and case materials, and statements to the media
and public ..." www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
and public ..." www.courtlistener.com/docket/71601...
Davis declined to comment to Bloomberg, but in his Oct. 17 appearance on the Charlie Kirk Show, Davis warned “lawfare Democrats” that it was time to “lawyer up”:
October 22, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Davis declined to comment to Bloomberg, but in his Oct. 17 appearance on the Charlie Kirk Show, Davis warned “lawfare Democrats” that it was time to “lawyer up”:
The news that a grand jury is set to probe a bogus Democratic-led “grand conspiracy” against Trump was divulged by Trump ally Mike Davis–the rabble-rousing conservative legal activist who briefly clerked for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch–during an appearance last week on the Charlie Kirk Show:
October 22, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The news that a grand jury is set to probe a bogus Democratic-led “grand conspiracy” against Trump was divulged by Trump ally Mike Davis–the rabble-rousing conservative legal activist who briefly clerked for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch–during an appearance last week on the Charlie Kirk Show:
Lori Sydney Reid acquitted in a lose-lose-lose for the Trump DOJ and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro:
~Grand juries three times declined to indict as a felony;
~The judge acquitted as to a misdemeanor against one FBI agent; and
~Petit jury acquitted as to a misdemeanor against the other FBI agent.
~Grand juries three times declined to indict as a felony;
~The judge acquitted as to a misdemeanor against one FBI agent; and
~Petit jury acquitted as to a misdemeanor against the other FBI agent.
October 16, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Lori Sydney Reid acquitted in a lose-lose-lose for the Trump DOJ and US Attorney Jeanine Pirro:
~Grand juries three times declined to indict as a felony;
~The judge acquitted as to a misdemeanor against one FBI agent; and
~Petit jury acquitted as to a misdemeanor against the other FBI agent.
~Grand juries three times declined to indict as a felony;
~The judge acquitted as to a misdemeanor against one FBI agent; and
~Petit jury acquitted as to a misdemeanor against the other FBI agent.
UPDATE: Here's the actual curative instruction the judge gave the jury on the dilatory discovery issue ...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
October 16, 2025 at 8:57 PM
UPDATE: Here's the actual curative instruction the judge gave the jury on the dilatory discovery issue ...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
Now it appears* that the myriad ways the govt botched discovery in the case has led the judge to consider or perhaps order a curative instruction to the jury. Reid's attorneys have proposed one, and it's a doozy:
*No reporters are actively covering the trial, so no real-time coverage from court.
*No reporters are actively covering the trial, so no real-time coverage from court.
October 16, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Now it appears* that the myriad ways the govt botched discovery in the case has led the judge to consider or perhaps order a curative instruction to the jury. Reid's attorneys have proposed one, and it's a doozy:
*No reporters are actively covering the trial, so no real-time coverage from court.
*No reporters are actively covering the trial, so no real-time coverage from court.
After the govt rested its case yesterday, Judge Sooknanan acquitted Reid of the charge as to one of the two federal officers involved due to insufficient evidence.
October 16, 2025 at 5:25 PM
After the govt rested its case yesterday, Judge Sooknanan acquitted Reid of the charge as to one of the two federal officers involved due to insufficient evidence.
President Trump has issued a presidential finding authorizing the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, including lethal operations, and in the Caribbean: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
October 15, 2025 at 6:21 PM
President Trump has issued a presidential finding authorizing the CIA to conduct covert action in Venezuela, including lethal operations, and in the Caribbean: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
Not just Venezuela. Colombia, too. And not just extra-judicial, but indiscriminate: "the Pentagon was unable to determine the individual identities of each person on the boats before they struck them."
October 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Not just Venezuela. Colombia, too. And not just extra-judicial, but indiscriminate: "the Pentagon was unable to determine the individual identities of each person on the boats before they struck them."
Spicy footnote in new motion to compel discovery by Abrego Garcia in his quest to show he's victim of vindictive prosecution, as retaliation for challenging his unlawful removal to El Salvador. On one level, duh, of course. It was a whole of govt smear campaign targeting AG to justify its error:
October 13, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Spicy footnote in new motion to compel discovery by Abrego Garcia in his quest to show he's victim of vindictive prosecution, as retaliation for challenging his unlawful removal to El Salvador. On one level, duh, of course. It was a whole of govt smear campaign targeting AG to justify its error:
As I read the ABC News story, the quoted phrases “problematic” and “likely insurmountable problems” are directly from the memo declining to prosecute:
October 8, 2025 at 2:07 PM
As I read the ABC News story, the quoted phrases “problematic” and “likely insurmountable problems” are directly from the memo declining to prosecute:
The original Count I (in an indictment misnumbered with two Count IIs) was an additional false statement to Congress charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala, to whom the indictment was presented in court, expressed puzzlement over the dueling documents, the WaPo reports:
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala, to whom the indictment was presented in court, expressed puzzlement over the dueling documents, the WaPo reports:
September 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM
The original Count I (in an indictment misnumbered with two Count IIs) was an additional false statement to Congress charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala, to whom the indictment was presented in court, expressed puzzlement over the dueling documents, the WaPo reports:
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala, to whom the indictment was presented in court, expressed puzzlement over the dueling documents, the WaPo reports:
Leblanc, whose dubious Wikipedia page credits him with the idea for Social Security, made millions from the high-flying, over-leveraged, marketing bonanza of Hadacol before it all collapsed amid unpaid bills, overdue taxes, and scrutiny from the FTC.
September 23, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Leblanc, whose dubious Wikipedia page credits him with the idea for Social Security, made millions from the high-flying, over-leveraged, marketing bonanza of Hadacol before it all collapsed amid unpaid bills, overdue taxes, and scrutiny from the FTC.
Dudley J. LeBlanc, who served in the Louisiana legislature off and on from the 1920s into the 1970s, made a fortune creating the patent medicine Hadacol. In the early 1950s, Hadacol was a marketing marvel, boosted by the Hadacol Caravan, a traveling medicine show w/ performers like Hank Williams.
September 23, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Dudley J. LeBlanc, who served in the Louisiana legislature off and on from the 1920s into the 1970s, made a fortune creating the patent medicine Hadacol. In the early 1950s, Hadacol was a marketing marvel, boosted by the Hadacol Caravan, a traveling medicine show w/ performers like Hank Williams.
In the case of Sydney Lori Reid, which THREE DC grand juries declined to indict for allegedly assaulting a FBI agent, prosecutors are trying to exclude from next month's trial (i) post-arrest audio from her phone and (ii) texts by 1 agent, including to his wife www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
September 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
In the case of Sydney Lori Reid, which THREE DC grand juries declined to indict for allegedly assaulting a FBI agent, prosecutors are trying to exclude from next month's trial (i) post-arrest audio from her phone and (ii) texts by 1 agent, including to his wife www.courtlistener.com/docket/71196...
In an additional twist, Politico reports that some of the facilities housing the children may be resisting turning them over to ICE. It obtained a memo–dated Sunday and signed after Sooknanan’s order–from the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement that chastised its contractors:
September 2, 2025 at 2:15 PM
In an additional twist, Politico reports that some of the facilities housing the children may be resisting turning them over to ICE. It obtained a memo–dated Sunday and signed after Sooknanan’s order–from the acting director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement that chastised its contractors: