Category: Vexatious Litigation

Bannon, Epshteyn Ran Extortion Scheme Against Left Leaning Law Firms At Trump Direction

The American Bar Association filed a court motion demanding the White House release communications involving Trump allies Steve Bannon and Boris Epshteyn related to Trump's attacks on law firms. The ABA is suing the Trump administration over what it calls a "law firm intimidation policy," alleging Trump weaponized executive orders to coerce firms into abandoning clients and causes he opposed and to abandon diversity initiatives.

Bannon publicly stated on his podcast that Trump intended to "put you out of business and bankrupt" major Washington law firms targeted by the administration. Epshteyn, Trump's personal lawyer, connected firms that capitulated to White House demands with the Commerce Department for trade deal work, according to reporting. The ABA alleges nine firms pledged nearly $1 billion in free legal services and agreed to abandon what Trump labeled "illegal" diversity recruiting in exchange for avoiding Trump-directed retaliation.

Steve Bannon, a convicted fraudster for his involvement in the 'We Build the Wall' LLC scam, defrauded Trump supporters out of their money under the pretense of supporting border wall construction. In addition to his fraudulent activities, Bannon was the Editor-in-Chief at Breitbart, where he collaborated with Milo Yiannopoulos in rebranding neo-Nazis as the Alt Right, further highlighting his controversial influence.

The Justice Department blocked the ABA from seeking information directly from Epshteyn and blocked his deposition, claiming the requests were unduly burdensome. The administration's obstruction of discovery reveals the extent to which Trump operatives orchestrated the coercion scheme and demonstrates the administration's determination to conceal the mechanics of its intimidation campaign against the legal profession.

Four firms that secured court orders striking down the executive orders against them await appellate review. The discovery dispute exposes behind-the-scenes coordination between Trump and his associates to weaponize the executive branch against law firms seen as hostile to his interests, a direct assault on the independence of the legal profession and separation of powers.

(Source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/bannon-epshteyn-info-sought-in-suit-over-trump-war-on-law-firms)

Trump DOJ Investigates MLB Over Pride Night Bible Verse Cap Policy

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has opened an investigation into Major League Baseball following the organization’s reprimand of San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night event on June 12. Giants players Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker added religious messages to their uniforms, with Roupp inscribing “Gen 9:12-16,” a Genesis passage frequently invoked by those opposing LGBTQ rights. MLB issued a routine warning that modifying caps violates league uniform policy, clarifying the concern was the physical alteration of equipment rather than the message content.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, escalated the matter by sending a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred warning that the league had been referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Dhillon framed the players’ actions as religious expression, claiming MLB’s Pride-themed uniform requirements constituted unlawful religious discrimination under federal law. “The three players expressed their opposition to MLB’s pro-Pride orthodoxy,” Dhillon wrote, arguing that employers must accommodate employees’ religious objections to uniform directives. The Justice Department characterized its involvement as part of the Trump administration’s stated commitment to combatting religious discrimination.

MLB’s response emphasized that the warning was procedurally routine and content-neutral. The league stated it has issued identical cautions for messages including “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and family member names, establishing that the policy applies uniformly regardless of message type. The organization has not publicly responded to the federal investigation. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas confirmed the agency received Dhillon’s letter but stated the commission cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation absent court filings or public resolution, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting workers’ religious liberty.

Vice President JD Vance publicly supported the players, posting on X that “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” signaling the administration’s opposition to MLB’s Pride initiatives. Roupp defended his actions to reporters, describing the biblical passage as reflecting religious faith rather than opposition to LGBTQ individuals, though the passage is commonly cited in arguments against LGBTQ rights. Los Angeles Dodgers players had similarly declined to wear Pride-themed caps days earlier, though their actions did not trigger formal league warnings.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/doj-mlb-pride-night-investigation-b2999392.html)

Trump Demands Prosecution Be Erased After Felony Conviction

Donald Trump used Truth Social to attack prosecutors, judges, and media figures in a late-night post series, claiming he is an "innocent man" despite his May 2024 conviction on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payoff to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump falsely asserted that his former personal attorney Michael Cohen stated he was "pressured and coerced" to testify, mischaracterizing Cohen's podcast comments to Sirius XM host Michael Smerconish as exoneration when Cohen detailed his own decision to provide truthful testimony.

Trump demanded Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James be fired, claiming they invented charges "that nobody has ever been charged with in the History of Manhattan" and transformed nonexistent "misdemeanors" into felonies. He made no factual distinction between the charges he faced and any prior cases, instead advancing the baseless argument that prosecution itself constitutes persecution targeting him personally.

The posts included links to six articles from the conservative outlet Just the News focused on Democratic corruption allegations, Trump's cognitive test results, the 2022 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago for classified documents, Hunter Biden, and Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis's efforts to prosecute Trump for election interference. Trump continued his decade-long campaign against mainstream media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN, claiming they would frame even an Iranian surrender as a victory against the United States.

Trump boasted of orchestrating political retribution against Republican officials including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, characterizing these actions as "taking out" enemies. He also claimed credit for deterring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from a "major raid" on Beirut, Lebanon, contradicting reporting of a contentious phone call between the two leaders on Monday.

The posting spree demonstrated Trump's reliance on unsubstantiated claims and distortion of factual record while seeking to reshape legal accountability as political weaponization, continuing his pattern of attacking institutions and individuals who have enforced laws against him or refused his demands for personal loyalty.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html)

Eric Trump Threatens Lawsuit Against Jen Psaki Over Alt5

Eric Trump announced plans to sue MSNBC’s Jen Psaki and the network over a May 15, 2026 segment in which Psaki identified him as a board member of Alt5 Sigma, a Las Vegas-based fintech firm rebranded as AI Financial. Trump denied the claim in a post to X, stating he had “NEVER” served on the company’s board and accused Psaki of spreading “blatant lies.”

Psaki’s segment addressed Eric Trump’s presence during his father’s Beijing trip, citing a Financial Times report that Alt5 Sigma was exploring a deal with a Chinese chipmaker connected to the Chinese Communist Party. The MSNBC host noted Eric Trump appeared in footage ringing the NASDAQ opening bell alongside the Alt5 Sigma logo and questioned potential conflicts of interest given his stated separation from family business operations during his father’s presidency.

Eric Trump was previously listed as a board observer and adviser for Alt5 Sigma following the company’s August 2025 partnership announcement with World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture founded by President Trump and his sons. Bloomberg reported in April 2026 that Eric Trump’s name and affiliation were removed from the company’s public website amid financial losses and executive turnover.

Psaki’s reporting detailed multiple instances of Trump family business dealings during the presidency, including Pentagon contracts worth millions awarded to companies partially or fully owned by Eric and Donald Trump Jr. She questioned whether the family’s financial interests warranted closer scrutiny from agencies like the Internal Revenue Service given apparent conflicts of interest.

President Trump has pursued an aggressive litigation strategy against media outlets, having reached settlements with Paramount and ABC while maintaining ongoing defamation cases against other news organizations including the BBC. Eric Trump’s threatened lawsuit against Psaki and MSNBC continues this pattern of using legal threats to challenge critical media coverage.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/eric-trump-accuses-jen-psaki-of-blatant-lies-as-he-announces-lawsuit-against-her-and-ms-now/)

Trump Attacks BBC Over Iran Bombing Query, Repeats False AI Claims

Trump attacked the BBC as "fake" aboard Air Force One on Friday after being questioned about an Iranian school bombing that killed over 170 civilians, including children. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, testified that week that the United States may have caused the bombing, which is under investigation. Trump used the question to rehash his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, falsely claiming the network used artificial intelligence to manipulate his January 6 speech and "put words in my mouth."

Trump attacked the BBC as "fake" after questions about an Iranian school bombing. He cited his lawsuit against BBC, misrepresenting their editing of his January 6 speech. While the BBC admitted to edits that unintentionally misled viewers, Trump's speech indeed indirectly incited violence, urging supporters to march to the Capitol. Despite no direct call for violence, his inaction during the attack and later actions, like pardoning participants and releasing a song with them, emphasize his indirect influence and support for the rioters.

Trump's lawsuit against the BBC follows resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness in the aftermath of the editing controversy. The departures came as the BBC faced public criticism over the January 6 segment, though the broadcaster maintained the edit was unintentional rather than malicious. Trump weaponized the incident to deflect from questioning about civilian deaths in Iran and to attack press accountability.

Trump's outburst exemplifies his pattern of attacking journalists and news organizations when confronted with uncomfortable questions about military actions and their consequences. By characterizing legitimate editorial scrutiny as "fake" and fabricated, Trump delegitimized the question about the Iranian school bombing itself. His false claims about AI manipulation and invented defenses obscured accountability for the deaths of over 170 civilians, including children.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-lashes-out-at-reporter-and-fake-bbc-over-iran-question-the-ones-who-put-ai-in-my-mouth/)

Trump family’s crypto firm sues investor Justin Sun, escalating feud – ABC News

World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida state court on Monday against Chinese crypto mogul Justin Sun, escalating their legal conflict. The suit accuses Sun of orchestrating a “scorched-earth pressure campaign” against the firm, including hiring influencers and deploying fake social media bot accounts to spread what World Liberty Financial characterizes as lies about the company.

Sun initiated the conflict by suing World Liberty Financial last month, alleging the firm improperly froze his investment in its digital tokens. World Liberty Financial denies those claims and contends in its lawsuit that it froze Sun’s assets to protect its community after discovering alleged misconduct by Sun, including suspected short selling of the WLFI token and straw purchases of WLFI tokens on behalf of undisclosed third parties.

The litigation represents the breakdown of a previously profitable relationship. Sun had invested over 45 million dollars into World Liberty Financial and millions more into President Trump’s meme coin called TRUMP. Sun dismissed the lawsuit as “nothing more than a meritless PR stunt” on social media and stated he will defeat the case in court.

Donald Trump Jr., a World Liberty Financial co-founder, amplified the firm’s allegations by reposting the lawsuit claims on X to his followers, urging them to “Read this entire thread for the truth!!!!” Eric Trump serves as a newly appointed ALT5 Board Director, further entangling Trump family financial interests with the cryptocurrency venture.

Earlier in 2026, Sun resolved a civil fraud case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission during the Biden administration by paying 10 million dollars, a settlement that critics characterized as favorable to the Chinese investor. The ongoing legal battle between World Liberty Financial and Sun signals deepening fractures within Trump family cryptocurrency operations and their reliance on foreign capital from individuals with documented regulatory violations.

(Source: https://abcnews.com/US/trump-familys-crypto-firm-sues-investor-justin-sun/story?id=132632914)

Comey Indicted Again Over Seashell Photo in Trump DOJ

Former FBI Director James Comey, a vocal critic of President Trump, was indicted by Trump’s Department of Justice for a second time on April 28, 2026. The charges stem from a 2025 social media post in which Comey arranged seashells to display “86 47,” a pattern that Republican supporters interpreted as a threat against Trump. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina, claiming the seashell arrangement violated federal law against threatening the president and transmitting threats in interstate commerce.

Blanche asserted at a press conference that Comey’s post constituted a serious expression of intent to harm Trump, stating “a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret” the pattern as such. He defended the prosecution as consistent with First Amendment protections. The term “86” is slang meaning to “get rid of,” and Trump’s supporters claimed the full display referenced both assassination and Trump’s current presidential term. This indictment follows Trump’s DOJ subpoena of Comey as part of a broader retribution campaign against perceived political enemies.

Comey denied the charges in a video posted to his Substack account, stating “Nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.” His attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said Comey would contest the charges in court and defend his First Amendment rights. Comey previously told MSNBC the seashell arrangement was a “clever way to express a political viewpoint” without violent intent, and he confirmed removing the image from Instagram while explicitly opposing violence of any kind.

The indictment represents Trump’s second attempt to prosecute Comey. A prior case filed last year for alleged perjury before Congress collapsed after a judge invalidated the appointment of Trump’s hand-picked prosecutor Lindsey Halligan. Trump’s DOJ previously fired prosecutor Robert McBride for refusing to lead Comey’s prosecution, signaling the administration’s determination to weaponize federal courts against its critics.

Blanche confirmed authorities issued an arrest warrant for Comey and stated he was unsure if Comey was in custody, inviting him to surrender to law enforcement voluntarily. The prosecution exemplifies Trump’s broader Interagency Weaponization Working Group targeting perceived adversaries across federal agencies. No court appearance date had been set as of the afternoon press conference.

(Source: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/28/trump-doj-indicts-james-comey)

SPLC Indicted on Trumped Up Fraud Charges for Reporting on far-right neo-Nazi Groups

The Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday on federal fraud charges, alleging it improperly raised millions of dollars to pay informants infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan and other white nationalist groups. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the organization defrauded donors by using their money to fund the extremism it claimed to oppose, with over $3 million paid to informants through a now-defunct program. The civil rights group faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in federal court in Alabama.

Prosecutors allege the SPLC created fraudulent bank accounts under fictitious names such as “Fox Photography” and “Rare Books Warehouse” to conceal money transfers to informants from donors. The indictment identifies at least nine unnamed informants paid through a secret program dating to the 1980s, including one who received over $1 million between 2014 and 2023 while affiliated with the neo-Nazi National Alliance. Another informant, paid over $270,000 between 2015 and 2023, was a member of an online leadership group that organized the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attended at the SPLC’s direction.

The SPLC stated it will vigorously defend itself against what it described as false allegations, asserting its informant program saved lives by monitoring violent extremist threats and sharing intelligence with law enforcement. Interim CEO Bryan Fair said the organization operated the program in secrecy to protect informant safety during a period marked by bombings, state-sponsored violence, and unsolved murders of civil rights activists. The organization contended it disclosed the program’s existence after the Justice Department’s investigation became public.

The indictment reflects escalating Republican attacks on the SPLC, which has faced intense criticism from conservative groups over its documentation of white nationalist and anti-government organizations. FBI Director Kash Patel severed the agency’s relationship with the center last year, calling it a “partisan smear machine” that defames “mainstream Americans” through its tracking of hate groups. House Republicans held a December hearing accusing the SPLC of coordinating with the Biden administration to target Christian and conservative organizations.

The prosecution follows other Justice Department investigations into Trump’s opponents and critics, intensifying concerns that the law enforcement agency has been weaponized for political purposes under the Republican administration.

(Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/g-s1-118275/southern-poverty-law-center-fraud-charges-paid-informants?utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwdGRjcARVFvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeo6GChtp8Ryn-h8AjBjI9MbbJfNP0Wt1SBw4PTVAFQmk5-oNZoCdnzl7yVgI_aem_PqhD4RCwv1mtQzaagDjCkA)

Kash Patel Says He’s Suing Over Report Claiming He’s Repeatedly Been Intoxicated in Public While FBI Director – Yahoo News UK

FBI Director Kash Patel announced plans to sue The Atlantic after the publication reported that he had struggled to log into a computer system on April 10, initially believing he had been fired by President Trump. According to the article by Sarah Fitzpatrick, Patel panicked and frantically contacted aides and allies about his supposed termination, with nine sources describing his behavior and two characterizing it as a “freak-out,” though the lockout was later determined to be a technical issue unrelated to any personnel action.

The Atlantic’s report also detailed allegations that Patel had been intoxicated in public at restaurants in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas. The publication claimed that members of his security detail had experienced difficulty waking Patel on multiple occasions due to excessive alcohol consumption, and that a request for breaching equipment typically used by SWAT teams was made after Patel became unreachable behind locked doors.

Patel’s response came through FBI spokesperson Erica Knight, who dismissed the reporting as “fabricated” and announced a lawsuit would be filed. Patel himself posted on X stating he would meet the outlet “in court” and accused it of producing “fake news,” suggesting the actual malice standard required in defamation cases would favor his legal position.

FBI Assistant Director Benjamin Williamson released a statement calling the article “one of the most absurd things” he had read, characterizing it as “completely false reporting at a nearly 100% clip” despite a tight two-hour deadline provided to the publication for response. The statement was included in Patel’s social media post as supporting documentation for his claims of inaccurate reporting.

(Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/kash-patel-says-suing-over-031725423.html)

Trump Admin Investigates 13 States Over Abortion Coverage

The Trump administration launched investigations into 13 states requiring health insurance coverage of abortion, claiming these policies violate the Weldon Amendment, a federal provision that protects health entities from being forced to cover or refer for abortion services. The targeted states are California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, with all but Vermont led by Democratic governors. The administration reinterpreted the Weldon Amendment to apply to employers and health plan sponsors, a position the Biden administration rejected.

Paula M. Stannard, director of the HHS civil rights office, stated the investigations aim to address states’ “alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” asserting that health care entities are protected from state discrimination for refusing abortion coverage based on conscience. The Trump administration sent letters to the states demanding information to support its legal theory that state abortion coverage mandates violate federal law by preventing employers and insurers from opting out.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill characterized the investigation as “nothing but a fishing expedition wasting taxpayers’ money,” defending her state’s requirement that health insurance plans comply with all applicable laws protecting reproductive freedom. Legal experts note the Weldon Amendment’s text does not explicitly mention employers or plan sponsors among protected health care entities, potentially undermining the administration’s interpretation. Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, identified the investigations as fulfillment of commitments made to the religious right through Project 2025.

The dispute reflects a partisan pattern in interpreting conscience laws. During Trump’s first term in 2020, his administration attempted to withhold federal health care funding from California over Weldon Amendment violations, but the Biden administration reversed that decision upon taking office. The question of whether the amendment applies to employers and plan sponsors has never been definitively resolved in court, leaving the legal interpretation contested.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-administration-launches-investigation-states-170346571.html)

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