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The Cost

Topic

Rule of Law

Pardons, prosecutions, defiance of court orders, and the independence of the Justice Department - the decisions that test the limits of executive power, with the rulings that followed.

decisions
19
severe or critical
9
sources cited
121

All rule of law decisions, newest first

  1. A grand jury aimed at the president's investigators

    DOJ's Florida 'grand conspiracy' probe kept subpoenaing ex-officials like John Brennan even as its lead prosecutor, Trump ally Joe diGenova, quit with no charges.

  2. The president's family crypto firm gets a bank charter nod

    A federal regulator conditionally approved a trust bank for World Liberty, 38% owned by an entity affiliated with Trump and his family, to issue its USD1 stablecoin.

  3. Trump declassifies election intel in a primetime address

    Trump declassified election documents, directed DOJ and intelligence agencies to investigate how intelligence was withheld, and pushed the 'SAVE America Act.'

  4. Trump pardons Binance's CZ

    Clemency for the crypto founder whose company took a $2 billion investment paid in the Trump family venture's stablecoin.

  5. DOJ indicts Trump's political foes

    Installed prosecutor charged Comey and James; a judge dismissed both, DOJ is appealing, and Bolton took a plea deal.

  6. Troops sent to US cities; most pulled, DC stays

    Courts ruled against the Chicago and Los Angeles deployments and troops were pulled from those cities and Portland; the DC deployment continued.

  7. LA military deployment ruled unlawful

    A Posse Comitatus Act injunction barred troops from civilian arrests and searches.

  8. Qatar's $400M jet accepted without approval

    Accepting a foreign government gift without congressional approval drew Emoluments Clause objections.

  9. Judge finds noncompliance after 9-0 Supreme Court order

    After a 9-0 ruling, a judge found the government had failed to comply and accused it of bad faith; he was returned two months later.

  10. Proof-of-citizenship voting requirement blocked

    An executive order imposing documentary citizenship requirements on federal voter registration was permanently enjoined.

  11. Dozens of officials' and critics' clearances revoked

    What experts called an unprecedented, partisan sweep targeted former officials, impeachment witnesses, and prosecutors.

  12. Deportation flights continued despite a judge's halt order

    Continuing flights after a court halt prompted a Chief Justice rebuke and a contempt fight that is still live.

  13. Judge threats surge; one judge convicted

    400 federal judges faced serious threats in 2025, up 78% in four years, amid presidential calls for impeachment.

  14. Executive orders target major law firms

    Courts struck down every order firms challenged; nine firms instead pledged $940M in free legal work.

  15. DOJ drops Adams case for cooperation

    Dismissal was tied to the mayor's help on immigration; seven prosecutors quit.

  16. Pardons for fraudsters and corrupt pols

    Clemency for people convicted of corruption and fraud, many with donor or political ties, erased repayments a California estimate puts near $2 billion across both terms.

  17. DOJ fires prosecutors; FBI leadership ousted

    DOJ fired career prosecutors who worked on Trump-related cases, saying their employment 'hindered' the president's agenda, and ordered eight senior FBI executives out.

  18. ~1,500 January 6 defendants pardoned

    The clemency order voided the largest criminal prosecution in DOJ history, which ranged from trespass to seditious conspiracy.

  19. $TRUMP memecoin creates foreign-access conflict

    Top token holders, most likely foreign per House Democrats, won a private dinner with the president; the SEC dropped its Coinbase case.