The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, April 24
Apr 27, 2026
Troy Edwards, Lawfare Public Service Fellow reporting on indictments; Roger Parloff, senior editor and longtime legal journalist; Anna Bower, senior editor covering litigation and national security; Eric Columbus, senior editor focused on national security law. They discuss the SPLC indictment, DOJ decisions including the Powell probe, grand jury and subpoena developments, immigration and removal litigation, FOIA and records fights, and insider betting and national security cases.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
NARA Keeps Processing Records Despite OLC's PRA Opinion
- FOIA requesters sought records NARA recovered from Trump post-Mar-a-Lago; DOJ OLC opined the Presidential Records Act (PRA) is unconstitutional.
- NARA told the court it had no Mar-a-Lago returns but continues to process presidential records, creating a tension with OLC's position.
Powell Inquiry Closed Likely To Smooth Confirmation Path
- DOJ dropped the inquiry into Fed Chair Jerome Powell shortly before his reappointment vote, while noting it could be reopened if warranted.
- The move likely cleared political hurdles raised by senators reluctant to advance nominations while an investigation loomed.
Soldier Indicted For Insider Betting On Polymarket Events
- Army Special Forces Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke is indicted for using classified operational knowledge to place binary bets on Polymarket, making ~$400,000.
- The case spotlights regulatory gaps: prediction markets fall under the CFTC with limited enforcement compared to SEC oversight.