1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Brusso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: I was astonished when you began your examination by commenting 3 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 2: on the defendant's post arrest silence. 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: That's basic law. It's been basic law in this country 5 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: for forty years, fifty years. We're used to seeing judges 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: yelling in court, reprimanding, even berating. What we're not used 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: to is judges crying in court, especially when telling the 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: defendant the good news that he doesn't have to go 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: to prison. But that's what happened when Brooklyn Federal Judge 10 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 1: Pamela Chen sentenced Alejandro Burzaco, a banker turned sports marketing 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: executive turned star witness at two FIFA corruption trials. Joining 12 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: me is Bloomberg Legal reporter Patricia Hurtado, who was in 13 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: the courtroom. Patty tell us about Brazaco. 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: He has been one of the most prolific and helpful witness, 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: says the US government has ever had. I've never covered 16 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 2: a case where at the sentencing, the federal judge who 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 2: presided over two trials and saw Berzakos on the stand 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 2: for fourteen days as a witness for the government, she 19 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 2: actually cried and had to stop and grabbed the tears 20 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 2: away as she told him how proud she was, some 21 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: privilege she was to see and hear his testimony, and 22 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 2: then she continued, but as you were speaking, mister Brazaco, 23 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: I felt some bit of privilege and pride about being 24 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: able to participate in this role in this system, because 25 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: this is a great justice system, and I think the 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: finest in the world, and it does, I hope, always 27 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: reward people for doing the right thing. And it was extraordinary. 28 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 2: As a reporter for decades of experience, I've never seen that. 29 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: I haven't either. It's stunning what the. 30 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: Government said he did is he helped them basically uncover 31 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: the fraud and rampant bribery that was in international soccer. 32 00:01:57,160 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: That there always been these rumors but no one had 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: ever been willing to come forward, and that Brazaco had 34 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: helped the US government disclose the actual fraud that was 35 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: involved in bribery. And after the trials has happened, there 36 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 2: was one in twenty seventeen that went on for weeks 37 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: and weeks, and the second trial that just finished was 38 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 2: like a twelve week trial. Earlier this year, she said 39 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: that now the truth is out that was bribery in soccer. 40 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: People couldn't deny it any longer. After all these witnesses testified. 41 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: What was he accused of. 42 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 2: Brazoco was accused and pled guilty to paying tens of 43 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 2: millions of dollars in bribe. Is sports marketing executive. It's 44 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: a very odd world. But basically, if you want to 45 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 2: get access to events, players, and you want to broadcast 46 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: those rights and endure certain teams, these bribes were paid 47 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 2: to the soccer bosses that were the heads of these 48 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: different soccer entities. So basically, these soccer bosses were taking 49 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: bribes from these corporations in exchange for are extraordinarily lucrative broadcast. Right. 50 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: So the judge said that by cooperating, he put his 51 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: life in danger. 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, And the first trial actually had all the trappings 53 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: of a mafia case where witnesses, especially Brazaco, who were 54 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:20,399 Speaker 2: basically escorted to and from court under guard of SBI agents. 55 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 2: The jurors were anonymous and their identities were not disclosed, 56 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: which is what you see in a mafia trial, you know, 57 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: a terrorism case. And he testified that because he was cooperating, 58 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 2: he was terrified for his own safety as well as 59 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: the safety of his family. His family was still living 60 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: in Argentina and some of his children still live there. 61 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: So in fact, his sentencing memo and the government's memo 62 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: everything is under steal and the court has refused to 63 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: release it. The allegation was that he and his family 64 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: had actually received death threats. So here's a guy that 65 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: basically can never return home to Argentina. 66 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: So he was on the stand a total of fourteen days, 67 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: two trials. What was he like on the stand? 68 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 2: He has a phenomenal memory, and because it was a 69 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 2: former businessman in banker, he knew about all the transactions 70 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: and he could talk about the financing. But then he 71 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 2: was I thought extraordinarily smart and down to earth guy 72 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 2: that knew how to communicate two jurors. He remembered people's conversations. 73 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: You remember the nicknames of some of these soccer bosses. 74 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 2: One of the guys in Argentina ran the empire from 75 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: a gas station and he was called in Spanish the Pope, 76 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: and he wore a big signet ring and people he 77 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 2: used to come and pay tribute to him and they 78 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 2: would have to kiss his ring, just like you have 79 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: to go when you see the Pope. So you can 80 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: see that there's all these anecdotes that Burzaco had at 81 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 2: the tip of his fingertips just off his memory, and 82 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 2: he could recite whole parts of conversations. He remembered details 83 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: about sitting in a restaurant and where they were sitting 84 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 2: Seventh Avenue in Manhattan near the News Court building. When 85 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: when were twenty first century Fox executives talked about paying 86 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 2: bribes to get lucrative broadcast rights, including some of the 87 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 2: allegations the government alleged was the rights to the twenty 88 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 2: twenty two World Cup. 89 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: How many people were convicted because of his testimony. 90 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 2: Dozens, more than two dozen were convicted. The soccer bosses 91 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 2: were convicted three a trial, two were acquitted. So of 92 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 2: five that went to trial, dozens and dozens pled guilty. 93 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 2: Sports marketing companies pled guilty. One of them is actually 94 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 2: trying to get out got convicted at the first trial. 95 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: Some of the biggest guys in the sports were ousted also, 96 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: like step Blatder, who was the boss of FIFA. He 97 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 2: was president for seventeen years and was kicked out of 98 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 2: the job. So prosecutors said that without Brazaco's help that 99 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: international soccer the true dirty underbelly would have never been exposed. 100 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: Tell us who he was in the courtroom for his sentencing. 101 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 2: It was kind of wild because he not only had 102 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: his lawyer, all of his family was there from Argentina, 103 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 2: his children, I understand, maybe two x wives and his 104 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 2: fiance and then you know, as reporters who cover courts, 105 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 2: you always hear these people that suddenly do good deeds 106 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: just ahead of their sentencing, where you know they're working 107 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 2: in a soup kitchen or working with a homeless or 108 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 2: something like that. Right, well, Brazaco actually had some of 109 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 2: the co workers from the food pantry he works with, 110 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 2: and there was a soup kitchen he works with where 111 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: he's so vigilant about working with him. From the description 112 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: of his lawyer, Jim Walden, it sounded like he had 113 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 2: felt so responsible after turning rogue as the former City 114 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: Group banker you know, turns bag man paying money millions 115 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 2: of dollars in Bride. He decided to turn over a 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 2: new leaf and cooperate with the government. But it didn't 117 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: just end there with help being in testifying as a 118 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 2: government witness. Here he is doing this good work for 119 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 2: years and years and years. So it's been eight years 120 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: since that raid at the five star hotel in Switzerland 121 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: when all the FIFA bosses got arrested, right he somehow 122 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: was in the dining room, but they didn't get him 123 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 2: for some reason. I don't know why. But he walked 124 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 2: out the back door and immediately went to the Swiss 125 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 2: Italian border and called his lawyers and immediately came in 126 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: and offered to help and then secretly pled guilty and 127 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 2: has been on Team America right helping the government. But 128 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 2: here he is for eight years. He's also been working 129 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 2: in the suit kitchens and food pantries, and he wanted 130 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: to make amends in such a way that when he 131 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 2: saw another guy at the soup kitchen getting attacked and 132 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 2: somebody was stealing his motorbike or his bicycle, Brazaco stepped 133 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 2: in to stop the crime and stopped to protect the 134 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 2: man it was getting hit by chains and call the cops. 135 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 2: And then when the DA found out who the witness was, 136 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 2: she had to tell the Manhattan Die's office who exactly 137 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 2: they wanted to call as a witness, that they couldn't 138 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: use him because they would interfere with their criminal case. 139 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: So Brazaco found another witness and convinced that guy to 140 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: come forward and testify against the wrongdoer. So his lawyer 141 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 2: called him the Superman of cooperators, and it really did 142 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 2: make him sound like Superman of all this good deeds 143 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 2: that he'd done that weren't just idle. You know, let's 144 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 2: do it for a weekend on Thanksgiving, and let's get 145 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 2: done with our public service. This is a guy who's 146 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 2: been committed for the last eight years to helping people. 147 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: Patty, besides family members and co workers at the food 148 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: kitchens he's worked at. Who else was at the sentencing. 149 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,599 Speaker 2: That was the other extraordinary thing to see Rose and 150 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: rose of former prosecutors who've been on the case for 151 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 2: eight years and left the US Attorney's office and they're 152 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 2: sitting there and FBI agents I haven't clapped eyes on 153 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 2: in years, and they're sitting there, and all of them 154 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 2: had worked in the case, and they all came and 155 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 2: show support to him. And everyone said to me afterwards, 156 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 2: you know that you don't often see a federal judge crying, 157 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: And there she was crying about how proud she was 158 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: to have seen his testimony, and she noted that some 159 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 2: of the defense lawyers availed his credibility and called into 160 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 2: question his motives. He was assailed as a liar who 161 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 2: was fingering these other upstanding members of the community in 162 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: the soccer world just to get even or to hide 163 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 2: his crime. But you know, the judge said she had 164 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 2: not seen evidence of that and these guys, I mean, 165 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 2: it was just I've never seen anything like it. It 166 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 2: was quite the spectacle. 167 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: So tell us about what he said at the sentencing. 168 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: It was very emotional, you can tell you know that 169 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 2: this whole aspect of leaving one's country and his family 170 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 2: behind and trying to do the right thing and make 171 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 2: up for his crime weighs really heavily on him. He 172 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 2: seems a man who's very tortured and affected by the 173 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 2: remorse he feels. It was definitely palpable. He has to pause. 174 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 2: He reddened in the face at some points in time. 175 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 2: I mean, he got very emotional and his voice choked 176 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,559 Speaker 2: up with emotion trying to talk about how horrified and 177 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 2: remorseful he was about the crimes he committed. And you know, 178 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,359 Speaker 2: he had to live alone in the US and facing 179 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 2: the prospect and then imagine that you're on hold, you 180 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 2: have everything to put on hold. Well, you wait for 181 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 2: these two trials to go through the system, and so 182 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 2: the first one started in May twenty fifteen. The first 183 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 2: trial started in November twenty seventeen, so we're talking two 184 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 2: years later, and the second trial didn't happen un till 185 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,719 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three because of the pandemic. So imagine having 186 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 2: your life and being put on ice like that, and 187 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 2: then you're having to stand by. He thanked everybody, you know, 188 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: He says, I want to say to all the victims, 189 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 2: I fully accept to take responsibility for the crimes I've committed. 190 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 2: I understood it was bad, and no one forced to 191 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 2: do me to do it, and I know my conduct 192 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: was wrong, it was very wrong. He apologized to the 193 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,960 Speaker 2: soccer world, to the members of the soccer clubs in 194 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 2: South America, who he called the real shareholders of these clubs, 195 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 2: and these people who loved the sport, who were basically 196 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 2: betrayed by this fraud. Talked about how was his motivation, 197 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 2: why did he engage in this fraud. My conclusion is 198 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 2: that at the beginning of my career in the soccer 199 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 2: in industry, I was motivated by a desire to be 200 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 2: close to the people in the industry and He basically 201 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 2: wanted to get in where all the decisions were made 202 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 2: in big soccer. And of course what happens is when 203 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 2: he joined this company, Torneo Si Comenthensius, the soccer management company, 204 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 2: the people were paying bribes and it was sort of 205 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 2: like the way you had to do business to succeed. 206 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 2: So he saw firsthand what was going on, and then 207 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 2: he knowingly went along with it. So, you know, he said, 208 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,079 Speaker 2: I was motivated by greed, and I deeply regret my actions, 209 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 2: and I was selfish, and I am ashamed of it, 210 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 2: and I'm still ashamed of it, and I want to 211 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 2: tell the victims. I've dedicated my last eight years to 212 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 2: repair this. It just was extraordinary. You don't most of 213 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,959 Speaker 2: the time. I call it the Great American Apology. Mistakes 214 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 2: were made, things happened, but I don't have anything to 215 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 2: do with it, because that's the way some people act 216 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,439 Speaker 2: after getting caught and pleading guilty. You know, they minimize 217 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 2: their role. He was definitely not that kind of guy. 218 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: It sounds like it was an extraordinary sentencing. Thanks so much, Patty. 219 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: That's Bloomberg Legal reporter Patricia Hurtado. The Supreme Court upheld 220 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: California's new humane pork law, rejecting an industry challenge in 221 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: a ruling buttressing the power of states to impose rules 222 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: that have a broad economic impact on other parts of 223 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: the country. The ruling could force pork producers to implement 224 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: costly changes to keep selling in the world rol's most 225 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: populous state. The industry argued, unsuccessfully that California is violating 226 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 1: the Constitution by regulating commerce outside its borders. Justice Neil 227 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: Gorsuch wrote for the five justice majority, saying the poork 228 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: industry would have us cast aside caution for boldness by 229 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: intervening where Congress had declined to act. The ruling cut 230 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: across the Court's left right divide Justice as Clarence Thomas, 231 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: Sonya Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett joined Gorsuch 232 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: in voting to toss out the lawsuit. Although the majority 233 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: splintered in some of its reasoning, for Justice's Chief Justice 234 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Katanji Brown 235 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: Jackson said they would have kicked the case back to 236 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: a federal appeals court for more scrutiny. My guest is 237 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: Harold Krant, a professor at the Chicago Kent College of Law. 238 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,839 Speaker 1: First of all, tell us about California Proposition twelve, which 239 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: is one of the nation's strongest farm animal welfare laws. 240 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 3: California's PAS Proposition twelve to ensure sort of humane conditions 241 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 3: for pigs, and the problem was that pigs are usually 242 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,559 Speaker 3: put in and tends very close to other pigs. There 243 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 3: can be violence, pigs don't get exercise, and so in 244 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 3: terms of cruelty, made people think that those kinds of 245 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 3: conditions should be banned. And California is not alone. There 246 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 3: are laws against cruelty in terms of raising food in 247 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 3: Massachusetts and Florida and other states. But this one is 248 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 3: noteworthy because California is such a large market and so 249 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,479 Speaker 3: it decides that pigs have to be housed in humane conditions. 250 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 3: That's going to cause a huge ripple effect into the 251 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 3: pork industry as a whole. 252 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: The argument in this case is about this arcane constitutional 253 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: doctrine called the dormant Commerce clause. Explain what that is. 254 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 3: So we have a commerce clause in the Constitution which 255 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 3: gives Congress the ability to regulate amongst the states, and 256 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 3: that's not at state care and that's not controversial. But 257 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 3: the Supreme Court later in its history decided to read 258 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 3: a negative implication into that clause, suggesting that some kinds 259 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 3: of state regulatory actions, even if they're based upon public policy, 260 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 3: can't have the impact of interfering with interstate commerce. And 261 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 3: so the Court on its own will sort of judge 262 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 3: whether a state regulatory effort is discriminatory against out of 263 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 3: state commerce and therefore violates the spirit of the Constitution 264 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 3: by picking and choosing which kind of producers to value 265 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 3: from which states there should be an accepted commerce in 266 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 3: the states. 267 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: And what was the argument here by the pork industry. 268 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 3: The pork industry had two or three different arguments, depending 269 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: upon how one counts. The first might be called an 270 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 3: extra territorial print, so that any kind of state regulation 271 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 3: that has the impact that is felt mostly externally should 272 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 3: as a per se matter be found to be unconstitutional. 273 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 3: A variant of that is the fact that in this 274 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: case it wasn't just a state regulation, it was a 275 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 3: moral regulation. And both and Mikai as well as the 276 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 3: park industry said, look, if you allow California to impose 277 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 3: a kind of moral principle in terms of humane treatment 278 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 3: for pigs. What's the stop California from men saying is 279 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 3: a moral issue. We only want to deal with employers 280 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 3: who are fair to their employees, or we only want 281 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 3: to have products from employers that are fair to employees. 282 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 3: So we only want to deal with products in companies 283 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 3: which bide by the privacy rights of their female employees. 284 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 3: So the fear was that this kind of case opened 285 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 3: up the Pandora's box and giving sort of a green 286 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 3: like to states to impose all sorts of regulations that 287 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 3: have ability to do with the morals of the state 288 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 3: as opposed to any kind of legitimate protection for their citizens, 289 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 3: such as from poison or pollution or something along those lines. 290 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 3: So that was one argument, and as probably that's why 291 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 3: this case got so much attention because of this extraterritoriality 292 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 3: aspect of it. The second one was just a plain 293 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 3: balancing test, and in prior cases the court had held 294 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 3: that when the burdens of a state regulation are excessive 295 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 3: in comparison to the in state benefits, that that state 296 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 3: rule also violates the dormant commerce clause of which we've 297 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 3: been speaking with the second argument, there are some the 298 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 3: court that want to get rid of it, and this 299 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 3: balancing test was severely limited by the court. It wasn't 300 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 3: by a majority of the court, but three members of 301 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 3: the court or suggested that they'd get rid of this 302 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 3: balancing test in a proper case, and other members of 303 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 3: the court enough to get a majority, said that the 304 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 3: port producers had not demonstrated such a huge excessive burden 305 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 3: in this case. So that coalition, which led on the 306 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 3: second point this balancing which is called the pipe test, 307 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 3: led to the court ruling against the pork industry on 308 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 3: that one as well. 309 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: This was a weird lineup that cut across ideological divides 310 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: and resulted in five separate opinions. So what was the 311 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: strand in the majority? 312 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 3: Well, its trand. Majority held that you cannot parse a 313 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 3: state regulation and say that it's having to do mostly 314 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 3: with morals as opposed to protection for the citizens of 315 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 3: the state. So that distinction that was forwarded by the 316 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 3: port producers was clearly rejected by a majority of the court, 317 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 3: Which is the controversial aspect of the decision, because then 318 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 3: it does open up states to enact morals legislation, which 319 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 3: has an impact upon out of state commerce. Because again, 320 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 3: on the face this regulation Proposition twelve is neutral because 321 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 3: it would apply to pork producers in California as well 322 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 3: as pork producers outside. It's just that there are almost 323 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:23,479 Speaker 3: zero pork producers in California, so obviously this had a 324 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 3: great out of state impact. So at least on the 325 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 3: first question, it's whether, if you have this kind of 326 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 3: huge impact, is that a per se violation of the 327 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 3: negative commerce clause. The court clearly came down no. On 328 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 3: the second issue, it had to do with this balancing 329 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,919 Speaker 3: of in state benefits versus out of state burdens, and 330 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 3: that's where the court was fractured. On that case. Three 331 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 3: of the justices said, we get rid of this balancing test. 332 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 3: It's inappropriate for courts. How can you balance benefits and costs? 333 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 3: And then two members of the court said, well, we 334 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 3: need to keep the test, but it's a narrow test 335 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 3: and the Portunustry did not demonstrate the excessive burden in 336 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 3: this case, and to dissenting justices, they would have at 337 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 3: least held that the pro producers did make a facial 338 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 3: claim as to a substantial burden and that should be 339 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 3: remanded back to the court to make that kind of 340 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 3: balancing tests. Though they agreed that the test of balancing 341 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 3: burdens and benefits was difficult, but they said it wasn't impossible, 342 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 3: and that's what the lower court should undertake. 343 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: Do you have any inkling as to why this opinion 344 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: was so fractured and cut across ideological lines? 345 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 3: Well, I think in terms of ideology, what's interesting is 346 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 3: you have the kind of liberals who you might think 347 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 3: would be in support of California and this kind of 348 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 3: moral legislation. But then again you have the traditional stage 349 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 3: writers who believe that the dormant commerce clause should be 350 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 3: very limited if it exists at all, and therefore because 351 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 3: now would give more power to the states as well. 352 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 3: So you have two different types of movements which would 353 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 3: suggest that the states should get more power than they 354 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 3: have in higher commerce clause challenges. And of course the 355 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 3: line up on the other side cuts across ideological lines 356 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 3: as well, with Justice and Jackson agreeing with Chief Judges 357 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 3: Roberts saying that we ought to keep the balancing test. 358 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 3: That's the proper way to understand limits on state authorities, 359 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,919 Speaker 3: and if the state action does have a disproportionate impact 360 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 3: outside the state, then that measure runs a follow dormant 361 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 3: commerce clause, and so again you had both Chief Justice 362 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 3: Roberts as well as Justice Alito and Justice Jackson, all 363 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 3: on the same side. 364 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,679 Speaker 1: You don't often have the Supreme Court making decisions in 365 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: the animal welfare area. Is this a victory for the 366 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: animal welfare movement in more ways than one? 367 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 3: Well, it's absolutely theigory formal welfare sanctioning any kind of 368 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 3: state efforts to try to ensure that animals are housed 369 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,959 Speaker 3: or slaughtered in a humane manner. You know, there are 370 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 3: states that ban the stale of horse meat, and obviously 371 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 3: states if they want to take other kinds of measures 372 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 3: to protect animals, they can do so. And maybe there's 373 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 3: true for fish farming too, but who knows. 374 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: Do you buy the pork producers saying that this is 375 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: going to increase prices for consumers and drive small farms 376 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: out of business and increase consolidation in the industry. 377 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,920 Speaker 3: Because California is such a large market, its impact will 378 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 3: be felt in the industry. And I do think that 379 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 3: Proposition twelve US will give rise to higher prices because 380 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 3: you know, once you have to spend more money in 381 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 3: terms of housing pigs and ensuring exercise and so forth, 382 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 3: that is going to raise costs on doing business. So 383 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 3: how big of an effect is unknown, but it is 384 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 3: logical economically to think that this is going to drive 385 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 3: court prices up. 386 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: Also, just as Kavanaugh referred to the slippery slope argument 387 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: in his opinion, And there are some concerns that the 388 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: reasoning here, you know, the core issue the ability of 389 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: states to take actions with impacts beyond their borders, could 390 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: also be used by states in their efforts to restrict 391 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: or expand abortion access. 392 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 3: I'm skeptical that there'll be a direct impact here on 393 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 3: the question about what states can do in terms of 394 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 3: either ensuring the delivery of the abortion pill or precluding it. 395 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 3: That has to do with the Privileges and Immunities clause 396 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 3: and how that's developed in terms of the rights between 397 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 3: those in one state and another state. I think the 398 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 3: commerce issue here is distinct enough that there won't be 399 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 3: any spillover into the more contentious issue of what kind 400 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 3: of impact can one state have on citizens of another 401 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 3: state or prevent their own state from unveiling themselves of 402 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 3: the options available, whether it be marijuana or abortion services 403 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 3: in a different state. So I'm skeptical then there will 404 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 3: be any kind of carryover effect. 405 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: So how much does this buttress the power of states 406 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: to impose rules that have an impact and economic impact 407 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: on other parts of the country. 408 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 3: It's a huge win for states. States can take the 409 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 3: signal in the poor producer's case and decide on a 410 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 3: whole variety of local welfare type of regulation which has 411 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 3: the practical impact of imposing more costs on out of 412 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 3: state producers. They can't discriminate. They have to treat in 413 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 3: state producers the same as out of state producers, but 414 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 3: with that bare sort of minimum. It gives the states 415 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 3: rights to do that. Now that always is subject to 416 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 3: preemption by Congress. Congress under the Commerce power can say 417 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 3: that those kinds of restrictions are not conducive to free 418 00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 3: flow of commerce from place to place, but subject to preemption, 419 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,439 Speaker 3: that the states can make those decisions and impose as 420 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 3: long as they don't do so in a discriminatory manner. 421 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,400 Speaker 3: It was interesting because the reason why this was controversial 422 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 3: is because of the sort of moral extra territoriality effect 423 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 3: of California's law, and yet all the members of the 424 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 3: court refuse to strike it down on that ground, seemingly 425 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 3: inviting the kind of retaliation or tit for tap. That 426 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 3: may well arise as states begin to regulate more in 427 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 3: the social area, whether it be an ESD type stuff 428 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 3: or another kinds of context. 429 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: Does any other red state have the economic power that 430 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: California does. 431 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 3: No, That's the underlying thing is that this gives big 432 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 3: states the advantage, particularly when it's talking about environmental pollution 433 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 3: or other kinds of activities. California can make a difference 434 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 3: just because of its size. Rhode Island and Arkansas aren't 435 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 3: going to have that kind of national prominence. 436 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: Well, we'll see if other states make any moves. Thanks 437 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 1: so much. How that's Professor Harald Krant do the Chicago 438 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: Kent College of Law. And that's it for this edition 439 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: of The Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you can always get 440 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: the latest legal news on our Bloomberg Law podcasts. You 441 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 1: can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at www 442 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: dot Bloomberg dot com, slash podcast Slash Law, And remember 443 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,120 Speaker 1: to tune into The Bloomberg Law Show every weeknight at 444 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: ten pm Wall Street Time. I'm June Grosso and you're 445 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 1: listening to Bloomberg