The Lawfare Podcast

Nicholas Bednar, Lawfare contributing editor and University of Minnesota scholar specializing in civil-service and constitutional law, joins to unpack high-stakes litigation around the Comeys. He breaks down Judge Furman’s venue ruling, Article II removal theories, and limits on presidential removal power. The conversation also covers grand jury issues, anticipated pretrial motions, and related Trump-administration legal skirmishes.

From June 9, 2017: As the dust settles following former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, the Lawfare Podcast brings you expert views on what exactly happened yesterday and what it means for the Trump administration going forward. Benjamin Wittes sat down with Carrie Cordero, a former attorney at the National Security Division of the Justice Department, and Paul Rosenzweig, who worked for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, for a conversation on the Comey testimony and its implications.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Posner, director of NYU Stern’s Center for Business and Human Rights and former Assistant Secretary of State, discusses the Chiquita trial and corporate accountability. He walks through payments to paramilitaries, how prior criminal findings shaped civil litigation, evidentiary challenges, global due-diligence trends, and the role of archives and regulations in holding companies to account.

Gavin McCormick, climate tech entrepreneur who founded WattTime and Climate Trace to map greenhouse emissions, joins to unpack tech and transparency. He explains how satellites and AI reveal emissions, the limits of simple tech narratives, and why data-driven accountability upends greenwashing. Conversations also cover policy, industry pushback, and scaling transparency to other sectors.

Joel Braunold, analyst on Lebanon, Hezbollah, and NATO dynamics. Ari Tabatabai, expert on Iran and regional strategy. Natalie Orpett, national security editor providing editorial perspective. They discuss the Iran war’s trajectories and Strait of Hormuz leverage. They cover Lebanon ceasefire strains and Hezbollah’s role. They debate NATO tensions, U.S. alliance coercion, and rising risks of political violence at home.

Chinmayi Sharma, an associate professor at Fordham Law School and Lawfare editor focused on immigration and automation, unpacks a privatized, code-driven immigration enforcement system. She discusses how vendors like Palantir centralize data, how errors and incentives entrench surveillance, and subfederal strategies to resist and disrupt these technologies.

Charles Minshew, data journalist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Megan Nadolski, producer who visited the Guidestones; and Tyler McBrien, narrative reporter who led the series. They trace the monument’s mysterious origins, decades of local controversy, the July 2022 blast and forensic clues about the explosives, and the investigative chase to identify who built and who destroyed the Guidestones.

Anja Shortland, a political economy professor at King’s College London who studies the economics of crime, discusses the rise of ransomware and its $75 billion global toll. She traces technical breakthroughs, the shift to human-operated attacks and Ransomware-as-a-Service, and recounts high-profile hacks and law enforcement responses. The conversation highlights how organizations and governments have adapted to this shadowy threat.

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.

Elle Reeve, CNN correspondent and author of Black Pill who covers right-wing extremism and internet culture. She discusses how incel and alt-right online worlds radicalize people. She recounts reporting from Charlottesville and Jan. 6. She traces 8chan, Gamergate, cruelty-as-currency, why women and autistic-identifying people get drawn in, and how extremist slang seeped into mainstream politics.