Kyle Cheney
@kyledcheney.bsky.social
Senior legal affairs reporter at POLITICO with a focus on democracy, the balance of power and the clash between the Trump administration and courts.
JUST IN: Two pitchers with the Cleveland Guardians have been charged with a gambling/ bribery/ money laundering conspiracy.
See the indictment: www.justice.gov/usao-edny/me...
See the indictment: www.justice.gov/usao-edny/me...
November 9, 2025 at 7:07 PM
JUST IN: Two pitchers with the Cleveland Guardians have been charged with a gambling/ bribery/ money laundering conspiracy.
See the indictment: www.justice.gov/usao-edny/me...
See the indictment: www.justice.gov/usao-edny/me...
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from using furloughed employees’ email accounts to broadcast partisan messages about the shutdown.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 7, 2025 at 10:10 PM
JUST IN: A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from using furloughed employees’ email accounts to broadcast partisan messages about the shutdown.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
JUST IN: Judge Currie orders DOJ to submit a more compete transcript of the Comey grand jury proceedings, noting that the transcript she was provided — of the lone witness — does not include Lindsey Halligan's remarks or presentation.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
JUST IN: Judge Currie orders DOJ to submit a more compete transcript of the Comey grand jury proceedings, noting that the transcript she was provided — of the lone witness — does not include Lindsey Halligan's remarks or presentation.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
JUST IN: Judge Immergut renews her block on President Trump’s National Guard deployment to Portland, saying her three-day trial showed there was no credible evidence justify Trump/Hegseth’s incursion on Oregon’s sovereignty. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 3, 2025 at 4:41 AM
JUST IN: Judge Immergut renews her block on President Trump’s National Guard deployment to Portland, saying her three-day trial showed there was no credible evidence justify Trump/Hegseth’s incursion on Oregon’s sovereignty. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
NEW: New DOJ attorneys presided over the sentencing of Taylor Taranto today, after his previous prosecutors were sidelined for mentioning his role in the Jan. 6 attack a day earlier.
Judge Nichols praised the absent prosecutors.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Judge Nichols praised the absent prosecutors.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 30, 2025 at 11:20 PM
NEW: New DOJ attorneys presided over the sentencing of Taylor Taranto today, after his previous prosecutors were sidelined for mentioning his role in the Jan. 6 attack a day earlier.
Judge Nichols praised the absent prosecutors.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Judge Nichols praised the absent prosecutors.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
BREAKING: A federal judge says L.A.-based US attorney Bill ESSAYLI has been acting in the role unlawfully since July, declaring him disqualified from the position. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 29, 2025 at 1:26 AM
BREAKING: A federal judge says L.A.-based US attorney Bill ESSAYLI has been acting in the role unlawfully since July, declaring him disqualified from the position. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
BREAKING: The full bench of the 9th circuit has agreed to take up the Portland National Guard case and vacated the panel decision that had blessed Trump’s deployment.
October 29, 2025 at 12:13 AM
BREAKING: The full bench of the 9th circuit has agreed to take up the Portland National Guard case and vacated the panel decision that had blessed Trump’s deployment.
NEW: High-profile Congressional hearings are typically festivals of grandstanding and missed opportunities. If Jack Smith testifies about his investigations, here are the 5 questions we hope members of Congress ask him to avoid that fate..
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
October 27, 2025 at 11:16 PM
NEW: High-profile Congressional hearings are typically festivals of grandstanding and missed opportunities. If Jack Smith testifies about his investigations, here are the 5 questions we hope members of Congress ask him to avoid that fate..
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
NEW: The Trump administration is racing to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia as soon as Friday, conceding it does not intend to follow through on his criminal case despite earlier assurances.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 27, 2025 at 9:08 PM
NEW: The Trump administration is racing to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia as soon as Friday, conceding it does not intend to follow through on his criminal case despite earlier assurances.
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
JUST IN: Letitia James is scheduled go to trial on Jan. 26 after pleading not guilty to both felony counts she faces.
She then exited the courthouse and decried “a justice system that has been weaponized.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
She then exited the courthouse and decried “a justice system that has been weaponized.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
JUST IN: Letitia James is scheduled go to trial on Jan. 26 after pleading not guilty to both felony counts she faces.
She then exited the courthouse and decried “a justice system that has been weaponized.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
She then exited the courthouse and decried “a justice system that has been weaponized.”
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
HAPPENING SOON: Attorney General Letitia James is slated to appear in a federal courtroom here in Norfolk, Va. for her arraignment on mortgage fraud charges.
Courtroom is not full and atmosphere much more subdued than for Comey.
Courtroom is not full and atmosphere much more subdued than for Comey.
October 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
HAPPENING SOON: Attorney General Letitia James is slated to appear in a federal courtroom here in Norfolk, Va. for her arraignment on mortgage fraud charges.
Courtroom is not full and atmosphere much more subdued than for Comey.
Courtroom is not full and atmosphere much more subdued than for Comey.
JUST IN: Rep. Ronny Jackson's lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom over California's redistricting effort was thrown out today by Judge Matt Kacsmaryk.
Jackson failed to show he faced a cognizable injury from CA's redistricting plan, Kacsmaryk says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Jackson failed to show he faced a cognizable injury from CA's redistricting plan, Kacsmaryk says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
JUST IN: Rep. Ronny Jackson's lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom over California's redistricting effort was thrown out today by Judge Matt Kacsmaryk.
Jackson failed to show he faced a cognizable injury from CA's redistricting plan, Kacsmaryk says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Jackson failed to show he faced a cognizable injury from CA's redistricting plan, Kacsmaryk says. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Trump says he’s making military decisions based on what random “friends of mine” tell him about crime.
October 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Trump says he’s making military decisions based on what random “friends of mine” tell him about crime.
A man was arrested for playing Darth Vader's theme music, "The Imperial March," behind National Guard troops walking through Logan Circle.
Now the ACLU is suing on his behalf. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Now the ACLU is suing on his behalf. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 23, 2025 at 4:38 PM
A man was arrested for playing Darth Vader's theme music, "The Imperial March," behind National Guard troops walking through Logan Circle.
Now the ACLU is suing on his behalf. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Now the ACLU is suing on his behalf. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
JUST IN: Arizona's lawsuit to force the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva goes to ... Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of Donald Trump.
October 23, 2025 at 1:33 PM
JUST IN: Arizona's lawsuit to force the swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva goes to ... Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of Donald Trump.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia has subpoenaed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and other senior DOJ officials to testify at the hearing on his mostion to dismiss the indictment for vindictive prosecution. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
October 22, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Kilmar Abrego Garcia has subpoenaed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and other senior DOJ officials to testify at the hearing on his mostion to dismiss the indictment for vindictive prosecution. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
JUST IN: Once again, Lindsey Halligan has to turn to out-of-state prosecutors, this time for the Letitia James case. Roger Keller is a Missouri-based prosecutor.
Two NC-based prosecutors are handling the Comey case for her as well. No one from EDVA in either case.
Two NC-based prosecutors are handling the Comey case for her as well. No one from EDVA in either case.
October 22, 2025 at 9:12 PM
JUST IN: Once again, Lindsey Halligan has to turn to out-of-state prosecutors, this time for the Letitia James case. Roger Keller is a Missouri-based prosecutor.
Two NC-based prosecutors are handling the Comey case for her as well. No one from EDVA in either case.
Two NC-based prosecutors are handling the Comey case for her as well. No one from EDVA in either case.
JUST IN: Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee, will decide whether Lindsey Halligan is disqualified as interim U.S. attorney, following a motion brought by James Comey. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 21, 2025 at 7:57 PM
JUST IN: Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee, will decide whether Lindsey Halligan is disqualified as interim U.S. attorney, following a motion brought by James Comey. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
NEW: A Jan. 6 rioter who breached the Senate floor — and was subsequently pardoned by Trump — was arrested Sunday for threatening to assassinate Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
October 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
NEW: A Jan. 6 rioter who breached the Senate floor — and was subsequently pardoned by Trump — was arrested Sunday for threatening to assassinate Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
JUST IN: Comey moves to dismiss the indictment against him for vindictive/selective prosecution, arguing that the prosecution stems directly form Trump's overt personal animus toward him and calls to put him in prison. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
October 20, 2025 at 8:25 PM
JUST IN: Comey moves to dismiss the indictment against him for vindictive/selective prosecution, arguing that the prosecution stems directly form Trump's overt personal animus toward him and calls to put him in prison. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
JUST IN: John Bolton’s arrest warrant just hit the docket
October 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
JUST IN: John Bolton’s arrest warrant just hit the docket
JUST IN: SCOTUS will decide in United States v. Hemani whether the statute that bars addicts from possessing firearms violated the 2nd amendment. This is the same charge Hunter Biden faced.
October 20, 2025 at 1:37 PM
JUST IN: SCOTUS will decide in United States v. Hemani whether the statute that bars addicts from possessing firearms violated the 2nd amendment. This is the same charge Hunter Biden faced.
Another heavy hitter for Comey in his criminal case — former Mueller probe attorney and Supreme Court litigator Michael Dreeben.
October 17, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Another heavy hitter for Comey in his criminal case — former Mueller probe attorney and Supreme Court litigator Michael Dreeben.
MORE: A Trump-appointed judge used a high-profile sentencing yesterday to praise prosecutor Troy Edwards Jr., who resigned after his father-in-law James Comey was indicted, and emphasize career prosecutors are the lifeblood of DOJ www.politico.com/newsletters/...
October 17, 2025 at 9:17 PM
MORE: A Trump-appointed judge used a high-profile sentencing yesterday to praise prosecutor Troy Edwards Jr., who resigned after his father-in-law James Comey was indicted, and emphasize career prosecutors are the lifeblood of DOJ www.politico.com/newsletters/...
NEW: Federal courts are increasingly distrustful of the Trump administration, upending decades of assumptions that the Executive Branch approaches the courts in good faith. My observations in West Wing Playbook:
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
October 17, 2025 at 9:16 PM
NEW: Federal courts are increasingly distrustful of the Trump administration, upending decades of assumptions that the Executive Branch approaches the courts in good faith. My observations in West Wing Playbook:
www.politico.com/newsletters/...
www.politico.com/newsletters/...