Schmitt's Creek
Summary
Talking Feds analyzes the political fallout from Senator Eric Schmitt’s failed attempt to expose Jack Smith, alongside the departure of key DOJ officials from the "great conspiracy" case. The panel examines the 11th and D.C. Circuit rulings allowing judges to continue scrutinizing the administration's slush fund and deportation practices, respectively. They also discuss the Supreme Court’s greenlighting of third-country deportations and the internal ethical dilemmas faced by career prosecutors deciding whether to stay or resign amid the current administration's legal overreach.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Anthropic and Claude
Intro: Jack Smith hearing and immigration news
Guest introductions and Mimi's book
Senator Schmidt's perjury blunder analysis
The Fannie Willis question and conspiracy theories
Republican strategy and political adrift status
DOJ inaction and Smith's House testimony
Phone records and political nature of witnesses
Smith's reflection on DOJ communication needs
Ethical rules and modernizing prosecutor strategies
Judge recusal requests and ethics violations
Collapse of trust and strategic issues for DOJ
Kurt Olson's departure from the department
Jared Wise resignation and bar license risks
Congressional oversight and midterms impact
Judge Boberg's investigation and court orders
Supreme Court accountability and judicial nuance
DC Circuit ruling and 11th Circuit stay denial
DOJ staff resignations and ethical dilemmas
Value of staying vs leaving and local offices
Supreme Court ruling on third-country deportations
Punitive deportations and secrecy tactics
Economic impact and self-deportation incentives
Sponsor: Vodka types and distillation
El Salvador deportation pause and political fallout
Schmidt mix-up and Fannie Willis/Caitlyn Clark
Outro and production credits
Sponsor: Anthropic and Claude
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