1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Brussel from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: Just Saturday, former President Trump and ounce he's had gotten 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: his booster shot. Maybe one of the few things he 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: and I agree on. Though President Joe Biden and former 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: President Donald Trump may agree on the need for vaccines, 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: it will be the Supreme Court that decides whether to 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: allow two federal vaccine mandates to take effect nationwide in 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: the first argued cases of a year that will be 9 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: consequential at the Court, with cases involving a range of 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: controversial social issues, from abortion and climate change to gun 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: rights in religion. Joining me is Bloomberg Law. Supreme Court 12 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: reporter Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson Kimberly. David Cole, the National Legal 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: director of the American Civil Liberties Union, told you that 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: this is going to be the most important term in decade. 15 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: Explain why, Well, even with the cases that the justices 16 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: have already heard in this is going to be a 17 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: blockbuster term. So I'm thinking about cases on abortion, gun rights, 18 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,919 Speaker 1: and religious freedom. These are all cases that have already 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: been argued, many of which are waiting an opinion in 20 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: two and would really set the term apart. From really 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: what's been a series of blockbuster terms. But the justices 22 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: do have a small window to add new cases to 23 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: that explosive docket. We've already recently seen them as the 24 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: vaccine mandates, which is the first thing they're going to 25 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: tackle when they return to the courtroom in January. But 26 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: there are a lot of other cases are on schedule 27 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: to meet this mid January cut off to add new 28 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: cases to the term, and many of those really show 29 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: how the courts cases are increasingly intersecting with some of 30 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: the biggest social debates and a really stealing questions about 31 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: the Court's legitimacy. The Court is fast tracking, I do 32 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: mean fast two cases on Biden's vaccine mandates. The two 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: cases are going to be the first thing the justices 34 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: tackle on January seven, and as you said, they are 35 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: really two separate mandates. One involved the Occupational Safety and 36 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: Health Administrations Mandate more frequently known as OSHA, and the 37 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: question there is whether OSHA has the authority to adopt 38 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: the so called shot or tests mandate for certain large employers, 39 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: or whether it really overstepped is congressional mandate to develop 40 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: standards that you know typically are tended to ensure safe 41 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: and healthy workplaces, you know, think of things like falls, 42 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: or hazardous materials or dangerous machines. Now OSHA has been 43 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: asked by the Biden administration to expand that to the 44 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: vaccine mandates. And then the second challenge is one involving 45 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS. We 46 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: always have to have a bunch of alphabet soup in 47 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: these cases, and these applied to health care facilities that 48 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: accepted these federal funds. And it's really the same issue 49 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: there whether or not CMS went too far in adopting 50 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: these sweeping rules, and whether or not Congress have to 51 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: say more before they can and act such a mandate 52 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: like this. So I looked at the calendar. You know, 53 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: usually the court has arguments on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 54 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: I saw that this was on a Friday. That's so unusual, 55 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: isn't it. It is really unusual, And I think to 56 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: understand why it's scheduled on a Friday, we have to 57 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about what's called the shadow docket 58 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: or the courts emergency docket. This procedure is really a 59 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: kind of special way for the justices to consider things 60 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: that come up outside of the normal course of its 61 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: regular decision making process. But think of things like a 62 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: month law breaking arguments and then a really considered opinion 63 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: that could go for dozens of pages. Instead, in these 64 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: shadow doctor cases, we tend to get a one sentence ruling, 65 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: you know, very expedited, and you know that's at particular 66 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: process caught a lot of criticism after the Court required 67 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: the Biden administration to keep a Trump era immigration policy 68 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: in place, and then that's six weeks Abortion Man out 69 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: of Texas as the Court allowed to go forward. And 70 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: so even though we've seen some pushback from the justices 71 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: about that criticism, they have taken the extraordinary step of taking, 72 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: you know, these vaccine cases, that Texas case, off of 73 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: the shadow docket, setting them in an argument more in 74 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: line with how they traditionally do things. And that's why 75 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: we see such a rapid schedule for these vaccine cases. 76 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: So the environment comes into focus on February twenty in 77 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: three cases. They're all from the DC Circuit Court, that's right, 78 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 1: And these cases concerning the environment are really similar to 79 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: these vaccine mandate cases, and that they go to the 80 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: ability of administrative agencies past sweeping rules that could potentially 81 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: cost US us as billions of dollars. And it really 82 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: shows the overt court's interest in administrative laws. And before 83 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: listeners start to tune out, you know, it can be 84 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: a very technical area of the law, but they have 85 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: enormous impact. And so here the Justice will consider whether 86 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: the e p A has the authority to regulate greenhouse 87 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: gas emissions from coal plants and an attempts to really 88 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: rein in climate change. And you know the fact that 89 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: the Justices took this case is concerning for those who 90 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 1: want really broad and sweeping reactions to climate change because 91 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: they didn't have to take it. This is one of 92 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: those cases where this particular program that cleaned power plant 93 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: is not in effect, and so the Biden administrations but 94 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: just hold on, let us figure out what we're going 95 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: to do with it. But of course that didn't happen, 96 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: suggesting that you know, there may be support on the 97 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: Court for saying the administration has just gone too far. 98 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: And you know, this is really an area where Congress 99 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: has at another case the Court didn't have to take 100 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: also involves a Trump administration rule on the public charge doctrine. 101 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: The Biden administration and the challengers agree to dismiss the case. 102 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: So it's a little confusing as to why the court 103 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: decided to take the case. It is confusing, and you know, again, 104 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: this is one of those cases where it seems like 105 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: the justices are reaching out to decide this case when 106 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: they really don't have to. The rule it issue here 107 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: requires the government to consider whether a non citizen is 108 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: going to pull on public benefits when considering whether to 109 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: grant them release, like admission into the country. And you know, 110 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: like the Clean Power Plan is not a rule that's 111 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: an effect right now. But the question here is for 112 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: the justices a procedural one. Again. You know, we see 113 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: them tackling so many of these really big issue cases 114 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: on procedural grounds rather than on the merits. And it's 115 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: whether or not these gop led states can really pick 116 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: up where the Biden administration left off and go ahead 117 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: and defend the legality of this rule, as the Biden 118 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: administration says it no longer wants to do at federal court. 119 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: Several of these cases seemed to be sort of caught 120 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: between two administrations. The Biden administration is also asking the 121 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: court to consider whether it has to continue the Trump 122 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: remained in Mexico policy. Yeah, we have really seen over 123 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: the last five years, given that there's such a break 124 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: between the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, this issue of 125 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: changing administrations really cropping up in the Supreme Court. So 126 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: in the past, there will be maybe a handful of 127 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: cases where this would happen, where a new administration would 128 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: come in and just say we're going to take a 129 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: whole new approach to this particular law. But by and large, 130 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: administrations have continued to have kind of the same general 131 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: interests and that's just not the case today. And it 132 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: will be really interesting to see when the next administration 133 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: takes over. Is this a trend that's going to continue 134 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: or is it something unique to Trump and to Biden. 135 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: Coming up, I'll continue this conversation with Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson 136 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: and we'll talk about some controversial cases that could make 137 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: the docket. The House committee investigating the January sixth attack 138 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: on the Capitol is considering the involvement of former President 139 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: Donald Trump and wants documents from the Trump White House 140 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: being held by the National Archives. Here are the committee 141 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: chairman Benny Thompson and Vice chair Liz Cheney, the White 142 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: House knew exactly what was happening here at the Capitol. 143 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: We are getting a clearer picture of what happened, who 144 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: was involved, and who paid for it, and where the 145 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: money went. And now Trump is using an interview Thompson 146 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 1: gave to the Washington Post to try to get the 147 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: Supreme Court to block the National Archives from turning over 148 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: his documents. I've been talking to Bloomberg Law Supreme Court 149 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: reporter Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson. So, Kimberly, this is one of 150 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: the cases the Court could put on its argument calendar for. 151 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: So this was a recent it that came to the 152 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: Court just in the past week. And it's really the 153 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,359 Speaker 1: first time that the Court has been asked to consider 154 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: the legal ramifications of that January six attack on the Capitol, 155 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: and it deals with the House Select committees attempt to 156 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: get documents from the White House involving then President Trump's 157 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: actions on that day. Now, it's important to note that 158 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: there was a similar battle listeners may remember over documents 159 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: that recently reached the Court, the battle over President trump 160 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: tax returns, and they're the Streme quote said that, you know, 161 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: Chris should really stay out of these disputes, that the 162 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: political branches, Congress and the President have been able to 163 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: work these disputes out in the past, and you know 164 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: it should be hands off for the judiciary. Of course, 165 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: the twist here is that this involves the Biden administration 166 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: agreeing with Congress to turn over certain documents by waiving 167 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: executive privilege for documents that came up under a different administration. 168 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: And so we're gonna see if that make a difference 169 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: for the Court and whether or not they say that 170 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: Congress and the American people really have a great interest 171 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: in these cases that they should go ahead and be 172 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: turned over. But importantly, as you mentioned, the Justices have 173 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: not agreed yet to take up this case. The House 174 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: has asked the Justices to expedite this case so that 175 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: they can hear at this term. And I think what's 176 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: really behind that is that you know, the House is 177 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: working on this informal deadline of the midterm elections, because 178 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: of course, a GOP takeover of the House could undo 179 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: the whole commission. And on Wednesday, Trump's lawyers filed a 180 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: supplemental brief asking the Justices to look at Thompson's statements 181 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: that the committee was considering making a criminal referral against Trump, 182 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: arguing that it's outside the committee's purpose. Another case the 183 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: court is being asked to take, and this is unusual 184 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: in there was a landmark ruling about the sovereignty of 185 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: Indian tribes and now Oklahoma is asking the justices to 186 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: reverse that ruling they just handed down. That's exactly right, dude, 187 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: And I think that's why this is one of those 188 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: cases that court watchers are really keeping an eye off. 189 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: As you mentioned, this case was a very recent case 190 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: that came down five to four in favor of the tribe, 191 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: and Oklahoma is now citing what it does is chaos 192 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: following the ruling, and the state has asked the court 193 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: outright just the over rule that brand new case. And 194 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: it's a pretty significant ask given that, you know, the 195 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 1: state really made the same arguments in the first case, 196 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:35,960 Speaker 1: but they didn't win the day. And I think the 197 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: ruling flipping the decision the other way. It's really cannot 198 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: be seen by many as an example of how the 199 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: court is really just another political actor and they're not 200 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: deciding these cases based on the law, but instead, you know, 201 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: based on their personal preferences, and that really anything is 202 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: up for grabs based on the makeup of the Court 203 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: at that time. So I will be watching how the 204 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: Justice is response to that. You know, we know if 205 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: this for the first time they were hearing the case, 206 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: it's likely that it would come down five to four 207 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 1: the other way. But are they going to consider the 208 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: potential questions about their legitimacy when deciding that the only 209 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: thing that's really changed is Justice Sammy Coney Barrett being 210 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: on the court, that's right. And so that's why I 211 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: think this is, like many indicates on the court stocket, 212 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: one of those cases that it's going to have implications 213 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: beyond just the merits, but really implications for the way 214 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: that the Court of operates and it's legitimacy going forward. 215 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: There are a pair of challenges involving affirmative action programs 216 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. The 217 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: schools wanted trial. Will the Court want to add more 218 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: controversy to its donket by taking these cases? If we're 219 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: just looking at what the justices have said in the past, 220 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 1: this does seem like a case that a majority of 221 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: the Court would like to take on and would like 222 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: to say something about affirmative action and maybe pull it 223 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: back a little bit again. You know, as we've been 224 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: talking about this whole time, this is just such a 225 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: blockbuster case that the Justices might want to wait on 226 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: that case until they can kind of get the lay 227 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 1: of the landscape after these bombshell rulings come down on 228 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: the flip side. You know, if they're already doing all 229 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: these other things and it seems like they're going to 230 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: have implications for the midterm elections, why not just go 231 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: ahead and all and lets the American electorate, you know, 232 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: go from there. But I don't really have a sense 233 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: of which way that's playing on the justices. But for 234 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: sure affirmative action is going to be a strategic grant 235 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: for the justices. But which way strategically it goes, I 236 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: don't now. One thing that is sure is you're going 237 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: to be very busy this year. Thanks so much, Kimberly. 238 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: That's Bloomberg Law. Supreme Court reporter Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson. Former 239 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: President Donald Trump's too eldest children have been subpoenaed by 240 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 1: the New York Attorney General, who is investigating whether Trump's 241 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: real estate business manipulated the value of key assets for 242 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: tax and insurance purposes. Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. 243 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: Filed a joint motion in New York State Court to 244 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: block the subpoenas, accusing New York Attorney General Letitia James 245 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: of making an unconstitutional attempt to get testimony from the 246 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: family members while they still face a separate criminal investigation. 247 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: Joining me as former federal prosecutor Michael Zelden, Michael tell 248 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: us a little bit about the age's investigation. So, beginning 249 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nineteen, the Attorney General of the 250 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: State of New York has had a civil inquiry focused 251 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: on whether the Trump organization fraudulently inflated the value of 252 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: its assets to secure bank loans while at the same 253 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: time understating them when he had to pay taxes on 254 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: the same property. So her office now has this investigation 255 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: about whether this dual valuation is part of a civil 256 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: fraudulent scheme to deny New York. It's a tax revenue. 257 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: Why has it taken so long? It seems like something 258 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: like that. You know, you need the papers involved, and 259 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: then you could do the calculations. Well, if you have 260 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: the papers and if you have the testimony of witnesses 261 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: to explain to you what those papers represent, then this 262 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: case could have moved quicker. But the Trump organization has 263 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: not cooperated. They've fought every subpoena and every effort to 264 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: obtain the information to make the evaluation. And therefore we 265 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: now are in year two of this case. So do 266 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: you know why she's subpoenaing Don Junior and Ivanka Trump. Well, 267 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: Don Junior and Ivanka Trump have been executives in the 268 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: Trump organised nation. When Donald Trump became president in the 269 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: United States, he turned over the business to his two children, 270 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: his three children, actually Eric as well, and each of 271 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: them therefore has knowledge of the company's operations and how 272 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: they valued things, and therefore their testimony is relevant to 273 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: the Attorney general's determination of whether or not this was 274 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: a fraud or this was appropriate business conduct. So now 275 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: they already deposed Eric Trump in October. There are reason 276 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: why he was deposed first or subpoenaed first. I don't know. 277 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: Eric has had a large role in the operation of 278 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 1: these companies, and uh, it may just simply be that 279 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 1: he was the first one that they wanted to speak to. 280 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: But I don't know why they chose the do they chose? 281 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: I know, though, that they believe that all three of 282 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 1: them have relevant testimony to answer the question of whether 283 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 1: this was a fraud or whether this was not a fraud. 284 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: The Trump's Don Junior Ivanka are asking a New York 285 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: State judge to block the subpoenas. What are their grounds 286 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: for doing that? What they say is that Miss James, 287 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: who is conducting a civil investigation, is improperly trying to 288 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: sidestep the grand jury process that would apply in a 289 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: criminal case. Meaning in a criminal case, if you brought 290 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: either Trump into the grand jury to take their testimony 291 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: under New York law, they would be immunized from prosecution 292 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: for their testimony, not so in a civil case. And 293 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,439 Speaker 1: so what they're arguing is that really what she's trying 294 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: to do is making an in run around the limits 295 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: that the criminal investigators have because she's working with the 296 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 1: Manhattan District Attorney's Office, who has a parallel criminal test agation. 297 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: So what they're saying is essentially she's trying to with 298 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: bad motive bypass the restrictions of criminal investigations in order 299 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: to get the information through the civil process, which he 300 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,440 Speaker 1: then will turn over to the Manhattan District Attorney's office 301 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,920 Speaker 1: and they will use it with the criminal prosecution. So 302 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: do they have a point? If there's a criminal investigation 303 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,679 Speaker 1: going on, wouldn't they be foolish to testify in a 304 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: civil deposition? Well, yes, possibly, depending on what they have 305 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 1: to say. But in orders them to prevail in this case, 306 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: what they'll have to do is prove that she is 307 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: in fact abusing the civil process to gather evidence for 308 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: a criminal case. They'll have to have a basis to 309 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: prove the truth of that proposition, not just the bold 310 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 1: statement of their belief that this is the case. Because 311 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court, in a case called US versus Cordell, 312 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: has held that evidence obtained through civil discovery can be 313 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:03,439 Speaker 1: used in a parallel criminal prosecution. There is there's notion 314 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 1: of parallel proceedings in the law where things which used 315 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 1: to be only civil or administrative are now both civil 316 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: and administrative and also criminal. And so the screaming Court 317 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,960 Speaker 1: was asked to figure out whether or not this is appropriate, 318 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: and the Court held in Cordell and followed up with 319 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 1: other cases where they basically said, parallel proceedings are okay. 320 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: You just have to make sure that things are done properly, 321 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: and you have to measure the full sort of civil 322 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: discovery rights and civil discovery, the rule is full disclosure. 323 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: Everyone gets to know what everyone else is doing, no surprises. 324 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: In criminal it's much more restrictive. And so the course 325 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: that as long as you're not, you know, making this 326 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: improper end around, it's perfectly normal, uh for this to occur. 327 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: So they have to prove that it's it's an end around, 328 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: and then they have to figure out what they want 329 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: to do if they have these subpoenas, and they can 330 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: simply say, you know what, we're a ticket the Amendment 331 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,439 Speaker 1: because this may jeopardize us in the criminal case, and 332 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: that's they're they're right, but they can't necessarily bring it 333 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: to a complete close. Do you know if Eric Trump 334 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: for his subpoena as well, do you know if he 335 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: used the same grounds. I don't know that he specifically 336 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: argued the end around theory that we've been discussing, but 337 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:28,879 Speaker 1: he too fought the subpoena. Usually they fight these things 338 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: on them being overbroad and unnecessary. But in the end 339 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: he lost his case. And I think that in the end, 340 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: Ivanka and Donald Jr. Should lose their case. Not because 341 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:43,959 Speaker 1: I have a political mode for saying should, but they 342 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: should on the basis of the law that governs parallel 343 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: proceedings and due process. Courts have generally ruled in parallel 344 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: suits that there isn't a due process violation and they 345 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: don't apply double jeopard um, but they do sometimes allow 346 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,199 Speaker 1: for various remedies, such as a stay in the civil 347 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: proceeding or protective order in the civil proceeding until the 348 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: completion of the criminal case. So the Trumps may say 349 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: to the court, look, court, please stay the civil action 350 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 1: until the completion of the criminal action, and that might 351 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 1: be in a winning argument for them, or the court 352 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,879 Speaker 1: might say, no, these things can run in parallel to 353 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,239 Speaker 1: one another. We'll just make sure that the evidence is 354 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 1: used properly as it is supposed to be used in 355 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: the civil versus a criminal case. And if they were 356 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:47,680 Speaker 1: witnesses before the grand jury, they would get transactional immunity. Correct. 357 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: That's their big argument. They're saying, Look, if you want 358 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: to hear from us about this, bring us into the 359 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: grand jury, give us immunity and we'll talk. But you 360 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: can't force us to talk in the civil case and 361 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: then use that evidence against us in a criminal case. 362 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: The Spreme court has said you can, um, but with 363 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: you know, qualifications to make sure that there isn't a 364 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: improper process that's in place, um, some subch refuge that 365 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 1: the government is using to obtain evidence that they couldn't 366 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: otherwise properly obtain. So they attached to their papers tweets 367 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: that the New York A g Letitia James has made 368 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: in public statements to support their claim that she's operating 369 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: in a dual role. Here is that convincing at all? No, 370 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: because she is permitted to engage in a dual participate 371 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: in the dual process. What they're arguing, in some sense 372 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: is her motives are impure, that this case is a 373 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: political witch hunt, and therefore it should be brought to 374 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: a those So I think that they're really impugning her, 375 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 1: you know, sort of integrity, her intentions in this case 376 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: more than they are saying that you can't do these 377 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,479 Speaker 1: things side by side. But they're saying she's They call 378 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: her all sorts of names, corrupt, attorney general and the 379 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: like because they say that this is all a witch hunt, 380 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 1: phrases that we've heard them use in other contexts. And 381 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 1: former President Trump had sued her last month along the 382 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: same lines exactly. Trump is trying to bring it in 383 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: to these this litigation by saying, essentially, this is a 384 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: political witch hunt, and um, it should be called to 385 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: an end, and courts, I think are going to be 386 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 1: very reluctant to do that. To impune the the integrity 387 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: of the government in such a way as to cause 388 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: the case to be brought to a end is I 389 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: think a very unlikely outcome. Yeah, So that's the question 390 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: I have because you know, as you talk about former 391 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: President Trump trying to delay other cases, for example, to 392 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: delay the January six Committee from getting his records. The 393 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: aim there is to delay it until the mid terms, 394 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: when likely the House will be turned over the Republicans 395 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: and the investigation will be terminated. But here there's there's 396 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: nothing like that. Any Attorney General New York is going 397 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: to continue this investigation. So how do the delay tactics 398 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 1: really help him in the end. They don't, and they shouldn't. 399 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: But that's still his method of operation. When anyone accuses 400 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: him in a in a legal case, what he does 401 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: is delay and fight back by attacking the integrity of 402 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: the lawyers who are for the government agency that's bringing 403 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 1: the case. This is just his standard method of operation. 404 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: So he doesn't you're exactly right that in New York, 405 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: because we saw this already in the Manhattan District Attorney's office. 406 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: Cyrus Vans, who started this investigation, has left office. He 407 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: has there's a successor ahead of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, right, 408 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: and uh, that person is proceeding with the case without 409 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 1: missing a beat. If Miss James, who was going to 410 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: run for governor but now no longer is if she 411 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: had one for governor, then her successor would pick up 412 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 1: this case and they would just move it right along. 413 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: So this is not like you're exactly right. This is 414 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,320 Speaker 1: not like the Hill where he is trying to delay 415 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: that in the hopes that the Republicans take over the 416 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 1: House and kill the investigation. That's a very different endgame here. 417 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: There is no endgame that this will be able to 418 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: run out the clock. It's just this is what he does. 419 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: And it remind us he already to look the subpoena 420 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: for records from his accountants to the Supreme Court. Remind 421 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 1: us what happened there. He lost. He loses, essentially, he 422 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: loses all of these cases, all of these arguments that 423 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: he makes it the government is not entiled to this 424 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: or this is this is a case born of political 425 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: bad faith. But this is a witch hunt. All of 426 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,679 Speaker 1: those cases for his tax records and the like, he 427 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: loses because they're not based in solid legal reasoning. They're 428 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: based in, you know, sort of wishful political outcome based thinking. 429 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: And so that's why I say, in this case, the 430 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: law favors Miss James being able to proceed, but the 431 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 1: court could entertain various protective styled orders to ensure that 432 00:26:54,600 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: the Trump's are not penalized for sitting for the old 433 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 1: deposition in their criminal case. Thanks for being on the show, Michael. 434 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: That's former federal prosecutor Michael Selden and that's if in 435 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: the edition of the Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you can 436 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: always get the latest legal news by listening to our 437 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Law podcast. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 438 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: and at www dot Bloomberg dot com, slash podcast Slash Law. 439 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: I'm Judie Bronso when you're listening to Bloomberg