Example Image
Civitas Outlook
Topic
Politics
Published on
Jan 27, 2022
Contributors
John Yoo
Victoria Toensing

Prosecute the Architects of Trump Lawfare for Election Interference

Contributors
John Yoo
John Yoo
Senior Research Fellow
John Yoo
Victoria Toensing
Victoria Toensing
Victoria Toensing
Summary
Rather than revenge, the Justice Department should defend the constitutional rights of candidate Trump and his voters.
Summary
Rather than revenge, the Justice Department should defend the constitutional rights of candidate Trump and his voters.
Listen to this article

In his second inaugural address, President Donald Trump declared that the “weaponization of our Justice Department and our government will end” and that he would “re-balance” the scales of justice. He now faces an important decision: whether to investigate the founders of the lawfare campaigns against him — beginning with New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He would have at his disposal the same legal theory that the Biden Justice Department constructed just for him: interfering with the presidential election deprived Americans of their constitutional rights to run for office and vote.

Special Counsel Jack Smith announced this unprecedented theory by charging Trump with depriving all Americans of their voting rights by challenging the outcome of the 2020 election.

The demise of independent counsels, which had a very low threshold to trigger appointment, illustrates how Democrats respond when feeling the sting of onerous investigations. Democrats loved the 1978 Independent Counsel Act, which was used five times against the Reagan administration and twice against George H.W. Bush. It was “good government” until it wasn’t. When the Clinton administration got hit with seven independent counsels, enough was enough. Democrats cheered its expiration in 1999, having discovered it was too costly.

Continue reading the entire article at The Federalist

10:13
1x
10:13
More articles

The Not-So Reckless Attack on Iran

Politics
Mar 4, 2026

The Healthcare Symposium

Politics
Mar 4, 2026
View all

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Politics

National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders

The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.

Politics
Feb 19, 2026
Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts

Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 13, 2024

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

View all
** items
California’s Green Policies Destroy Blue-Collar Jobs

The problem here lies not with racism, or lack of reparations, as Newsom and “progressives” insist, but with their own policies, which devastate minority communities.

Joel Kotkin
Politics
Feb 28, 2026
There's a Perception Gap With the U.S. Economy

As we approach another election cycle, it’s worth asking: what’s real, what’s political theater, and what does it all mean if Democrats regain control of the House?

Charity-Joy Acchiardo & G. Dirk Mateer
Politics
Feb 2, 2026
California Wealth Tax Backers Ignore Proposition 13 Lessons

While the tax would be a “one-time event,” nothing would prohibit similar initiatives in the future.

Jonathan Hartley, Arthur Laffer
Politics
Jan 25, 2026
International Law Is Holding Democracies Back

The United States should use this moment to argue for a different approach to the rules of war.

Politics
Jan 25, 2026

Trump’s Iran Operation Is Legal, Just, and Overdue

Politics
Mar 3, 2026
1:05

‘Big Difference’ Between Investigating a Sitting and Former President: Ex-dDeputy Assistant AG

Politics
Mar 3, 2026
1:05

Richard Reinsch Warns of Escalating Political Retaliation as Debate Turns to Conservatism, Violence, and Executive Power

Politics
Feb 23, 2026
1:05

John Yoo urges Supreme Court to ‘let democracy work’ in trans athlete case

Politics
Jan 13, 2026
1:05

Kotkin: Non-Aligned Nations Navigating a Multipolar World

Politics
Aug 19, 2025
1:05
No items found.
No items found.
The Not-So Reckless Attack on Iran

The Iranian government does not have either the leadership or the resources to mount any sustained military response to the forces arrayed against it. 

Richard Epstein
Politics
Mar 4, 2026
The Healthcare Symposium

We’ve asked James Capretta, Sally Pipes, and Avik Roy to opine on the future of healthcare policy in America.

Richard M. Reinsch II
Politics
Mar 4, 2026
Reforming Health Care

Market-driven reform should be compared with the alternative its critics prefer: price regulation.

James C. Capretta
Politics
Mar 4, 2026
Stop Subsidizing Insurers, Start Empowering Patients

Policymakers need to shift power away from third-party payers and back to patients.

Sally C. Pipes
Politics
Mar 4, 2026
No items found.