Skullduggery

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin laid out the four criminal referrals the January 6th Committee made to the DOJ recommending that Donald J. Trump and others be investigated for the events relating to the attack on the US Capitol. The report included some startling new disclosures including testimony from a former White House staffer that is a potential case of witness tampering. How do we assess the report from the Jan 6 Committee and where do the investigations go from here? We talk to Rep. Raskin and one of the Committee's star witnesses, retired Federal Appellate Court Judge J. Michael Luttig.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 24 December 2022

In the Pantheon of American conspiracy theories, the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy is the gift that keeps on giving. For nearly 60 years it has been dissected and debated by partisans of countless conspiracy theories. So what does the newly released material on the matter show? And what are they still keeping secret? We talk to two leading experts on the subject, former New York Times reporter Phil Shenon and former Washington Post Reporter Jeff Morley.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2022

On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ron Deibert, who runs the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, to discuss the “mercenary spyware” industry - and its proclivity for providing “almost god-like” spyware programs to governments who’ve been proven to use them to surveil “opposition politicians, human rights activists, journalists, academics, embassy workers, and political dissidents.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2022

The violent insurrection at the Capitol last year was a sobering day for American democracy, and yet many people thought that - at the very least - it would break the fever that had overcome the Republican Party and push it to separate itself from Trump and move on from his repeated lies with respect to “the big steal.”That is not what happened - instead, the past two years represented a pivot point between “this is not normal “ and “this is dangerous and not going away” as we’ve all been witness to GOP taking the “plunge deeper into a Trumpian cult of compulsive dissembling and conspiracy mongering,” falling “hostage to the party’s most fevered extremists” as “the usual partisan differences [have given] way to an existential call to arms.”So writes journalist Robert Draper in his recently published “Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost its Mind,” an account of how a “new breed” of Republicans - the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Madison Cawthorn - far from moving on from Trump, have taken the “politics of hysteria” to even greater extremes.Through his extraordinarily intrepid cross-country reporting, Draper chronicles the ascent of these faces of the “new GOP” among the Republican base and within Congress, rendering unforgettable portraits of how “Greene and her ilk” came hold such sway over the GOP, shaping its terms of engagement to an extent that the GOP establishment -  likes of Kevin McCarthy - would only begrudgingly admit.On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Draper to talk about just how the GOP has, as he says, “lost its mind.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2022

“I have been accused of having obstructed the war. I admit it. I abhor war. I would oppose the war if I stood alone. I believe in free speech, in war as well as in peace.” So said Eugene Debs on September 12th, 1918 to members of a jury tasked with deciding whether he had, as prosecutors argued, during a speech given a few weeks earlier to a crowd of socialists attempted “to promote insubordination [in the military]” and “propagate obstruction to the [military] draft.”  Debs - a socialist, political activist, trade unionist, one of the founding members of, among many leftist groups, the Socialist Party of America - would be convicted of and handed a lengthy prison sentence for violating the Espionage Act, pushed through Congress the year prior by former President Woodrow Wilson - just after the United States entered into the war in Europe. Upon signing the Act - which made criminal dissent against the war - into law, Wilson, at once, began to use it to go after opposition to the establishment - communists, socialists, trade unionists - and continued to do so even after the war had ended. This is just one of the many subjects of American Midnight, journalist and historian Adam Hochschild's recent book, in which he examines a period during which the United States saw a swell of patriotic frenzy and political repression that makes McCarthyism look almost subtle by comparison - 1917-21. On this episode of “Buried Treasure,” we sit down with Hochschild to look back on this all too often unremembered period that gave birth to the Espionage Act - some of the “darkest years of the republic” in which the government and political establishment weren’t at all opposed to blatantly illiberal approaches to achieving their desired outcomes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2022

“Every so often over the past quarter-century, analysts have predicted that Iran was on the cusp of major change. They always turned out to be wrong. Now, unrest is engulfing the country yet again.” So writes Jason Rezeian in a recent piece for the Washington Post about the threats the Iranian government is facing, what people are saying - and why this time could be different. For the past three months, Iran has been rocked by protests prompted by the death of a young woman - Mahsa Amini - while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police” for the alleged crime of wearing an improper hijab. Images of Amini - bruised and on life support - spread on social media, and her name has become the latest rallying cry in what have been largely women-powered protests against the government’s repression and misogyny.It has been estimated by human rights organisations that - over the course of the protests - hundreds have died, thousands have been injured, and yet thousands more detained - upwards of 18,000 people.Rezaian, the global opinions writer for the Washington Post, served as the Post’s bureau chief in Tehran from 2012 to mid 2015, before he was arrested and convicted on bogus espionage charges and held in an Iranian prison for a year and half before being released in early 2016 as a part of a prisoner exchange with the United States. Rezaian joins us to discuss the protests, Iran’s worsening relations with the West, and what he thinks the future holds for the Islamic republic See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 30 November 2022

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday announced what amounts to a legal bombshell in the two most high profile investigations being carried out by his department. He's appointing a Special Council to oversee the ongoing probes into whether Donald Trump illegally sought to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. And whether he violated federal law by taking classified documents from the White House and then refused to turn them over in response to a court approved subpoena. Garland named Jack Smith, a career department prosecutor who once headed the Justice Department's Integrity Section to the job of determining Trump should be prosecuted. And yet Garland still has ultimate power to approve or reject whatever Smith decides. What does this move mean for Trump's future and the integrity of the Justice Department? We talk to Michael Zeldin, a former career prosecutor and Independent Council himself. And then we check in with Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the human rights group D.A.W.N. about the State Department's controversial decision to recommend shielding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman from a lawsuit.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2022

Donald Trump on Tuesday night announced to no one’s surprise that he will once again run for President. By Trumpian standards he seemed subdued as he described America’s decent into war, crime, and economic catastrophe ever since he left the White House twenty-two long months ago and Joe Biden took office. And yet the timing seemed curious. And to many Republicans infuriating. The party had just suffered un-expecting setbacks in the midterms. Once again losing the Senate and it seems just barely taking back the House as Trump endorsed candidates fell by the wayside one by one. And if that wasn’t enough, GOP leaders were still determined to eek out a win in a Georgia run-off and are desperate to have him stay out of the headlines. How much of a threat to Republicans stability and future success as Trump’s candidacy? We talk to Yahoo News correspondent Alex Nazaryan who was at Mar-a-Lago for the big announcement. And then we check in with Molly Jong-Fast, a popular liberal podcaster and social media influencer about what she makes of Trump’s candidacy and the unexpected midterm results.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2022

Even while still reeling from their disappointing performance in Tuesday's election, Republicans are bracing for more turmoil, as they prepare to likely take over the House of Representatives with the thinest of majorities. Instead of celebrating the election results as he had expected, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is now facing serious unrest within his ranks, threatening his prospects of taking the gavel from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when the new congress convenes Jan. 3rd. And even if he does ultimately prevail, how much power will McCarthy actually have? And what should we expect from a Republican controlled House in which the hard-right Freedom Caucus has new power. We talk to one of the reporters most plugged in to the House GOP Caucus, Juliegrace Brufke of The Washington Examiner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2022

For weeks the conventional wisdom in Washington couldn't have been clearer. There was a red wave coming that would sweep Republicans to a historic victory. Winning back control of the US House by wide margin and potentially control of the Senate as well. But then the voters spoke and the conventional wisdom of the pollsters and pundits was wrong once again. As we sit on Wednesday the GOP seems likely to win control of the House after all, but by an exceedingly fine margin that could prove a nightmare for presumptive speaker Kevin McCarthy. And the Senate seems that it could once again depend on the results of a run-off in Georgia where the party's Donald Trump backed candidate Hershel Walker will have huge challenges in his hopes of unseating incumbent Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock. What do the election results say about what passes for the conventional wisdom in American politics? And what do they mean for a 2024 Presidential contest that could well begin as early as next week. We talk to Yahoo News Political Reporter Andrew Romano and Washington Post columnist Matt Bai.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 9 November 2022

When Vivian Schiller signed on as a Senior Executive at Twitter in 2013, she was excited to be joining a company that seemed poised to remake the world. It was a heavy time for the social media start-up. Just a few years early, it had been messages on Twitter that connected Democracy activists throughout the Middle East leading to a revolutionary moment known as the Arab Spring. But Schiller soon became disillusioned and has long since left the company. In the years since, Twitter was increasingly hi-jacked by purveyors of hate and disinformation, fouling democracy instead of spreading it. Now, billionaire Elon Musk has taken over twitter, fired half its workforce, and signaled plans to revise if not roll back the content moderation policies that lead the company to kick Donald Trump off the platform for spreading election lies. We talk to Vivian Schiller about what we should make of the Musk takeover and what it portends for the future of Twitter, social media, and American Democracy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 5 November 2022

This week, thunderous explosions rocked the Ukrainian Capitol of Kiev, as Russian forces unleashed another blistering attack of cruise missiles on the city and other regions throughout the country. The attacks targeted energy facilities and other critical infrastructure, cutting off the water supply for 80% of Kiev's residents. It was yet another reminder that despite recent gains by Ukrainians on the battlefield the brutal war that Russia launched last February shows no signs of abating, even as the risks of escalation seem to grow by the day. Is there any hope for diplomacy? Or is the world stuck watching a bloody stalemate in a conflict that has no end in sight? We talk to the CIA former top Russia analyst, George Beebe.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 2 November 2022

There may be no institution in American more consequential or divisive than the United States Supreme Court. Under the leadership of Justice John Roberts, the court has upended campaign finance laws, undermined the 1965 voting rights act, affirmed a previously unrecognized constitutional right to gun ownership, and this year embolden by its new 6-3 conservative majority struck down the constitutional right to abortion. Decisions that have had a profound impact on our politics, not to mention the daily lives of millions of Americans. But there is more coming up. This coming Monday, on Halloween, the Supreme Court will revisit another politically charged issue. Should affirmative action continue to play a role in college admissions? And coming soon, Senator Lindsay Graham have to testify in a Fulton County investigation into Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. We discuss with two longterm court watchers, Leah Litman a Law Professor at the University of Michigan and Jess Bravin of the Wall Street Journal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 29 October 2022

A few month ago, Democrats were upbeat, believing fervently that they had a decent chance of beating the historical odds and retaining the control of the United States congress. The Supreme Court Dobbs decision overturning Roe v Wade had energized women across the country, while President Biden scored some major legislative successes. Most notably a climate change bill, that they a bit deceptively labeled, the Inflation Reduction Act. But today, with the midterms less than two weeks away, a new gloom hangs over the party's prospects. The polls consistently show rising prices, the economy, and crime to be the dominant issues preoccupying voters, playing to the GOP advantage. Where do things now stand? We talk to Democratic pollster Mark Mellman to get his state-by-state breakdown. And then we check in with Republican consultant Brian Robinson on two showcase races in Georgia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 26 October 2022

"We don't have a client, we weren't here to move some legislative agenda item. We were here to kick the s**t out of Donald Trump." That's from veteran political consultant Rick Wilson talking in a new five part documentary about the groundbreaking SuperPac he and a handful of other Republican consultants founded called The Lincoln Project. The group raised nearly 90 million dollars during the 2020 election, using the cash to create devastating attack ads hammering Donald Trump and his MAGA allies. As election day approached two years ago, The Lincoln Project was getting tons of attention, and Wilson and his confederates were congratulating themselves on their ability to use their attack dog skills to stop the threat to democracy posed by the then President. But how effective really was The Lincoln Project? The documentary now airing on Showtime takes an unblinking look at the controversies surrounding the group and brings up important questions about what they say about the state of modern politics. We talk to the film makers Karim Amer and Fisher Stevens. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2022

With three weeks before the midterms, the outlook for control of the US Senate and possibly even the House, remains as it's been for some time. A jump ball in which either party can yet prevail. But there is little doubt that there is growing anxiety among Democrats, with inflation, gas prices, and crime, consistently ranking as the top concern among voters, outranking the fallout from January 6th or the alarming number of Republicans running for office who still endorse Donald Trump's election denying nonsense. But are Democrats talking about the right issues? And crafting their messages in ways that connect with that segment of the electorate that actually determines the outcome of elections. veteran Democratic consultant Lis Smith says no, and she's got some advice for them in her new book, "Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story." We talk to her about how she sees the midterms and what she's learned as a female advisor to a parade of Democrats from John Edwards to Elliott Spitzer to Andrew Cuomo, all of whom have had problems over their relationships to women. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2022

Liz Cheney, Wyoming's Congresswoman, revealed the January 6th Committee's final card at yesterday's hearing. Subpoena to Donald Trump to testify and to provide documents about his role in the events that lead to the attack on the US Capitol. It was a surprise move by the panel at the end of its final public hearing in which it revealed some new details about alarming intelligence warnings to the secret service about the potential for violence that day, as well as compelling footage that day as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer huddled about how to get to the business of the day certifying Joe Biden's victory in the Presidential election back on track. The hearing, like all the earlier ones, got gavel to gavel coverage on cable TV and played big in major newspapers across the country, but it hasn't moved the needle it terms of public opinion. And just as important, hasn't brought the Justice Department any closer to bringing criminal charges to against the former President. We discuss with Matt Miller, former Chief of Public Affairs of the Justice Department under Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2022

President Biden in an exchange with CNN's Jake Tapper, vowed there will be consequences for Saudi Arabia in light of their decision to join with Russia in cutting back oil production, a move guaranteed to help Vladimir Putin and his war with Ukraine, while at the same time, jacking up gas prices for American consumers. The Saudi move jolted the White House, coming barely three months after Biden famously fist-bumped the country's de facto ruler Mohammed Bin Salma, the very same Crown Prince, who according to US intelligence, approved the operation that brutally murdered Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But what should those consequences for the Saudis actually be? Biden didn't say. But one Senator, who has been one of the most outspoken on the issue is Connecticut's Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. We talk to him about the US-Saudi relationship and the war in Ukraine as well as this week's nearly billion dollar verdict against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his lies about the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2022

It may have been the biggest investigative scoop of this year's election. This week, The Daily Beast reported that Herschel Walker, the Republican candidate for the US Senate in Georgia and a staunch opponent of abortion rights, paid for a girlfriend's abortion in 2009 - sighting documents that included a receipt from the abortion clinic, an image of a seven hundred dollar check from Walker, and a "Get Well" card signed by the former football star. Walker immediately denied the story. And insisted that he had no idea who the accuser was. But then The Daily Beast followed up with an equally astonishing story, that the woman was actually the mother of one of his children. What prompted the woman, still anonymous, to come forward now? And what impact will this have on one of the most important Senate races in the country? We talk to The Daily Beast reporter who broke the story, Roger Sollenberger, and Yahoo News' own Jon Ward. And then we chat with Slate's Dahlia Lithwick about the new Supreme Court term and her new book, Lady Justice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 8 October 2022

It may be the most pressing question facing the world at this perilous moment. Is Vladimir Putin bluffing or not when he threatens to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine? Nuclear weapons analyst Joe Cirincione says we need to take the Russian president seriously. "We should believe Putin that this is not a bluff," he writes in a recent op ed in The Washington Post. In fact Cirincione points out, Russian military doctrine has been transformed under Putin's leadership. Where once it called for the use of nukes only when the very existence of the Russian Federation was under threat, it now contemplates their use in response to quote, "large scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security." A big difference to say the least. And one more alarming now than ever given that Putin has declared the eastern regions on Ukraine sovereign Russian territory. What might a Russian nuclear attack in Ukraine look like? And what would and should be the United States and NATO's response? We talk to Cirincione and game out the ever more frightening possibilities. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 3 October 2022

The election of Donald Trump six long years ago began an unimaginable period of time in our history, when the United States was lead for the first time by a President who neither knew or subscribed to the fundamental tenants of our Constitution. And frequently acted to undermine them. So write Peter Baker and Susan Glasser in their new book, The Divider. It maybe the most comprehensive account yet of Trump's presidency. The zig-zags in policy, the clashes and in-fighting among his aides, the incessant attempts to use the power of his office, not to advance policies in the national interest, but to benefit his own personal and political interests. We talk to Baker and Glasser about what they've learned, including their account of Trump's still puzzling relationship with a scary autocrat very much dominating the world stage, Russian President Vladimir Putin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 1 October 2022

The third and final installment of the series recounts how senior U.S. officials became increasingly dubious about sensational claims about Havana Syndrome pointing to the lack of any hard evidence that a secret microwave weapon even exists. It features interviews with Fulton Armstrong, former CIA analyst, Jim McGovern, U.S. congressman, Mark Zaid, national security lawyer, and John Cohen, former Department of Homeland Security intelligence chief.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 24 September 2022

The second installment of the series examines the Cold War mystery over suspected microwave attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and how Pentagon fears about such bombardments heavily influenced the initial response to Havana Syndrome. It features interviews with John Fitzsimmons, the former deputy secretary of state for diplomatic security, Sharon Weinberger, a Washington journalist who describes the Pentagon’s own secret research to develop a microwave weapon, and Mike Beck, former NSA counter-intel officer who was convinced he was whacked by a microwave attack during a trip to Russia in the 1990s.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 24 September 2022

In the first installment of the series, Isikoff and his producer Mark Seman travel to Cuba where they interview Johana Ruth Tablada de la Torre, the deputy director for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Foreign Ministry about how the reports of Havana Syndrome were viewed by the country's leadership. The episode also features interviews with a leading Cuban human rights activist, Brian Nichols, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs and Ben Rhodes, the ex-Obama aide who negotiated the reopening to Cuba in 2014 only to watch all his efforts undercut by the events that began with Havana Syndrome.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 24 September 2022

In the fall of 1974, a young ambitious prosecutor was grilling a powerful US Congressman on trial for corruption. The prosecutor's cross examination was unforgiving. He had confronted the Congressman with checks from business interests that he had promoted and bombarded him relentlessly with tough questions. After a break, the Congressman threw in the towel and pled guilty. An amazing turn of the tables that handed the young prosecutor his first major triumph. The prosecutor's name, Rudy Giuliani. And it was the first of many headline making triumphs as he went on to serve as a top Justice Department Official, a mob-busting US Attorney, and of course as America's Mayor who guided NYC during its darkest hours and days in the aftermath of September 11th. What's endlessly fascinating about those early triumphs is that they were followed by one of the most spectacular falls from grace that any public figure has experienced in living memory. A man once widely revered, even Knighted by the Queen of England, has ended up as a nearly pathetic laughing stock with significant legal exposure thanks to a considerable degree to his role as consigliere to Donald Trump. It's a story masterfully told by veteran journalist Andrew Kirtzman in his new book, Giuliani: The Rise and Tragic Fall of America's Mayor. We talk to Kirtzman about his new book and Giuliani's legacy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 21 September 2022

New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller addressed the Republican Convention of 1964, denouncing the extremists that appeared to be taking over his party. Only to be drowned out by boos and shouts by delegates backing that year's nominee Barry Goldwater. Rockefeller's all but forgotten speech is the opening scene in journalist David Corn's new book, American Psychosis: A historical investigation on how the Republican Party went crazy. Corn draws a somewhat straight line from that moment, when a Goldwater movement rife with followers of the John Birch Society and other extremist groups took over the GOP, to the rise of Donald Trump more than a half century later, culminating in the events of January 6th when MAGA extremists stormed the US Capitol and threatened the lives of lawmakers and the sitting Vice President. Corn's book raises the question that hung over the events of 1964, can the Republican Party be saved? And if it can't, can American Democracy be saved? We talk to Corn on this episode of Skullduggery See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 16 September 2022

It was 21 years ago this week that 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hi-jacked commercial airplanes and crashed them in to the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon killing nearly three thousand Americans. That murderous act prompted the US Government to invade Afghanistan and where Taliban rulers were protecting Osama Bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders. It was the start of the country's longest war stretching over two decades, only to end disastrously last August when President Biden pulled out all US troops and the Taliban re-took control of the country. For most Americans, Afghanistan is a country that evokes vague unpleasant memories that are fast being forgotten. But a new podcast, Kabul Falling, reminds us that for millions of Afghans, the US withdrawal was only the start of a horrific nightmare as Taliban fighters went house to house searching for American collaborators while Taliban leaders methodically stripped the country’s women of all their rights and barring them from attending school. We talk to the host of Kabul Falling Nelafur Heydayat, a refugee herself, as well as the podcast’s executive producer and former Wall Street Journal reporter Bradley Hope, to discuss what they discovered in the aftermath of the US withdrawal and what it pertains to the future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 12 September 2022

There's no President that Joe Biden and his aides like to compare themselves to more than Franklin Delano Roosevelt. After all, FDR and his new deal transformed the American economy and helped rescue the country from The Great Depression, providing a model for the transformative policies that Biden embraced in his Build Back Better proposals. It was also Roosevelt who rallied the country to fight fascists abroad, even as Biden now seeks to mobilize voters to reject semi-fascists at home. In his new book, Becoming FDR, author Jonathan Darman recounts how the young Roosevelt, a gregarious likable politician, not especially deep or thoughtful, with a losing track record as a national candidate, was transformed by a personal crisis that shook him to his core. It's not unlike the personal tragedy that rocked Joe Biden's world after he was elected to the U.S. Senate. We discuss with Darman the FDR-Biden parallels, as far as they go, as well as the latest on Donald Trump's legal troubles. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 9 September 2022

“I have finally seen enough. Donald Trump will be indicted by a federal grand jury.” So wrote national security lawyer Bradley Moss, our guest, in a column for the Daily Beast after release of a heavily redacted FBI affidavit detailing the justification for the extraordinary search of Donald Trump’s home in Mar A Largo to retrieve stacks of government documents that didn't belong to him. While many of the most pertinent portions were blacked out, the affidavit detailed how the FBI had retrieved 15 boxes from Mar A Largo earlier this year. What was in them—mixed in with newspaper clippings, personal correspondence and other items-- were “184 unique documents bearing classification markings,” including 67 marked “CONFIDENTIAL,” 92 marked “SECRET,” and 25 documents identified as “TOP SECRET”—where unauthorized disclosure could reasonably result in “exceptionally grave damage to the national security.” Moss suggests these findings along could be the basis for charging Trump with multiple federal crimes, including obstruction and unlawful retention of classified documents as well as even possibly a section of the Espionage Act dealing with gross negligence in the handling of national defense information. But is the evidence that has been made public so far enough for Merrick Garland’s Justice Department to bring the first criminal charges in history against a former president. We'll discuss with Moss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 29 August 2022

One year ago this week, the United States hastily pulled out of Afghanistan, an ignoble end to a twenty year experiment in nation building. As armed Taliban fighters swarmed into government buildings and took over the country, the world was privy to gut wrenching scenes as thousands of Afghans who served as translators, co-workers, and allies on the battlefield desperately tried, along with their families, to get on airplanes to leave the country and avoid the inevitable retribution. Few are more emotionally involved in the effort to save those Afghans than our guest Elliot Ackerman. A marine who served five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for valor. In his new book, The Fifth Act: America's End In Afghanistan, he writes about his own frantic efforts along with others to line up charter flights to save his one-time Afghan colleagues. We discuss America's look back on its humiliating withdrawal and take stock of what Afghanistan has become under the harsh rule of our longtime enemies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 15 August 2022

On a Monday morning in August, the United States Justice Department as well as the FBI, may have crossed the proverbial rubicon. For the first time in American history, agents showed up unannounced at the home of a former President of the United States in a court authorized search for classified documents that were removed from the White House. It was an extraordinary move by any measure based on a still sealed affidavit that lays out probable cause for why the documents at Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago contains evidence of a federal crime. What exactly are potential crimes at issue? And what to make of the furious reaction coming from leading Republicans in congress, vowing full-scale investigations of the Justice Department and the FBI if they, as many expect, take control of the House in Nov. Mary McCord, a career prosecutor and the former Chief of the Justice Department's National Security Division, as well as Dana Milbank, columnist for the Washington Post and author of new book The Destructionists: The 25-year crackup of the Republican Party, join to discuss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2022

Many chilling images and voices were displayed by the January 6th Committee on Thursday Night including audio tapes of some of the rioters talking among themselves about hunting down and possibly even killing members of Congress. The Rioters wreaked havoc on the US Capitol, smashing windows, detonating smoke bombs, assaulting police officers, while President Trump sat watching Fox News in the White House dining room, indifferent and unmoved, rejecting repeated pleas from his top White House aides, the Republican Leader of the House, his friends at Fox News, and even members of his own family to speak out and call off the mob. We learned for the first time that members of Vice President Mike Pence's own security detail feared for their lives and were frantically calling home to their loved ones during the attack. And we heard for the first time from yet another incredibly strong young woman, White House Press Aide Sarah Matthews, describing how she was so repulsed by Trump's profound derelict of duty that she drafted and submitted her resignation that very day. How powerful was the committee's summertime finale? And perhaps more importantly, how will it be assessed at DOJ? We're joined by Mary McCord, Fmr. top National Security Official in the Department of Justice. GUESTS:Mary McCord, Fmr. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division in the Department of Justice HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Yahoo News' article about the key takeaways from final summer Jan. 6 hearing - Here. Yahoo News article focusing on what Trump was doing during Jan. 6 riot - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 22 July 2022

"The point with Trump is he's in on the joke." So said South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham about his odd relationship with the 45th President as quoted by veteran journalist Mark Leibovich in his new book Thank You For Your Servitude: Donald Trump's Washington and the price of admission. The idea that Trump's entire chaotic rollercoaster presidency was a giant joke and his army of Republican enablers were in on it all along is a continuing theme of Leibovich's book, as he charted how one after another top Republicans who privately had utter contempt for the occupant of the Oval Office, never the less fell loyally in line. Concluding, that it was all just some harmless charade that Trump himself was fully a part of. But what happens when the joke, including absurd claims about the results of a Presidential election leads to violence. Threatening the lives of even Trump's own Vice President. As the January 6th Committee plans to wrap up its summer hearings with a primetime special on Thursday night, we'll talk to Leibovich about his book and what happens when the big Washington joke stopped being funny. GUESTS:Mark Leibovich, (@MarkLeibovich), The Atlantic, (Fmr NYT), Author of Thank You For Your Servitude HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Pick up Mark Leibovich's book Thank You For Your Servitude - Here. Yahoo News Exclusive Target Letters to Fake Electors - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2022

Liz Cheney dropped one more nugget at the end of Tuesday’s January 6th Committee hearing, new evidence that Donald Trump may be contacting witnesses who are being called to testify in an apparent effort to influence what they might say. If true, it’s a federal crime. And Cheney’s statement that the Department of Justice had been alerted immediately set off speculation about another possible avenue for Attorney General Merrick Garland’s prosecutors to pursue. As the committee moves to wrap up its extraordinary series of hearings next week in primetime, the path to a possible prosecution of Donald Trump only seems to be expanding. Not just in Washington, but in Atlanta where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is accelerating her own investigation. We’ll talk to someone who has their own unique perspective on the Willis probe, Charlie Bailey, a former prosecutor who used to work for Willis, and is now running for Lieutenant Governor against a Republican lawmaker deeply involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. GUESTS:Charlie Bailey, (@charlie4georgia), 2022 Democratic LG Nominee, Atty at Cook & Connelly, Fmr. Senior Assistant District Attorney HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News RESOURCES: Isikoff and Klaidman's Fani Willis piece from June. - Here. David Knowles piece onGeorgia election officials debunking Trump claim - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2022

"Nobody on planet earth was more horrified by the notion of Donald Trump as President." So writes Tim Miller in his new book Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. Miller was a longtime GOP operative, a spinmeister, a dirt disher, who worked for the McCain and Romney and Jeb Bush Presidential campaigns. And also served as a top spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. But his revulsion towards Trump knew no bounds and caused him to sever ties with virtually everybody he used to work with. Miller's book seems to answer an enduring question that persists to this day. Why did so many go along? "I felt like everything I ever knew and believed about my country, my career, my colleagues were a lie," he writes. The Americans I most despise had taken over the country I loved, bringing almost everyone I had once looked up to along with them. Miller joins us to discuss his book and more. GUESTS:Tim Miller, (@Timodc), Writer @bulwarkonline, Host “Not My Party” on Snap, @msnbc analyst, author HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@vbass), Senior Advisor at States United, Author of Electoral Dysfunction RESOURCES: You can pick up Tim Miller's new book Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell - Here. Yahoo News' latest on the key cases on the Supreme Court docket next term - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2022

"We're going to get charged with every crime imaginable." So said the White House Counsel, Patrick Cipollone on January 6th to White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson. The 26 year old former Deputy to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Hutchinson presented some of the most jaw dropping testimony yet to the January 6th Committee. Recounting how Trump was informed that morning that supporters of his with guns had gathered for his rally but were being refused admission because the weapons would be picked up by the metal detectors, or MAGs as they were known, that are always present for an event with the President. Trump in turn demanded that the MAGs be removed saying, according to Hutchinson, "They're not here to hurt me." And when later informed that the rioters were shouting, "Hang Mike Pence," Trump purportedly said that Pence, "deserved it." Trump of course has denied Hutchinson's sworn testimony, calling her, "a total phony." And some parts of what she had to say is now being disputed by someone close to the Secret Service. Has her account strengthened the case for the prosecution of Trump? And what more does the committee have in store? We talk to one of the panel's witnesses, British documentarian Alex Holder. GUESTS:Alex Holder, (@alexjholder), Award-winning documentary filmmaker including the upcoming Docu-series Unprecedented on Discovery+ HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@vbass), Senior Advisor at States United, Author of Electoral Dysfunction RESOURCES: Details about Alex Holder's upcoming Docu-series Unprecedented - Here. Who is Cassidy Hutchinson - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 29 June 2022

On Friday, the most consequential Supreme Court decision in decades came down, a 6-3 ruling overturning Roe v Wade. For nearly half a century women have had a Constitutional right to abortion, now they don't. Because, as Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion, Roe was, "egregiously wrong from the start." Informed by what he called, "exceptionally weak reasoning." The new ruling from the court ditching what seemed like well settled precedent is certainly to inflame passion. And as Biden insisted, the fight is not over. His administration, with the backing of virtually every Demacrat in Congress, will seek to pass a Federal Law codifying the right to an abortion. But even if such legislation could overcome a near certain filibuster from Senate Republicans and actually pass, would that supersede the actions of more than a dozen State legislatures that now seemed poised to ban abortion outright? Veteran Supreme Court watcher and author David Kaplan as well as former Deputy Attorney General Donald Ayer, a former Supreme Court Clerk himself, join to discuss this alongside the extraordinary testimony in front of the January 6th Committee this week. GUESTS: David Kaplan, (@dkaplan007), Author, Adjunct NYU Professor, Fmr. Newsweek Legal Affairs Editor Donald Ayer, (@DonaldAyer6), US Deputy Attorney General under President George H. W. Bush HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Yahoo News' story on SCOTUS overturning Roe v Wade - Here. Yahoo News' story on the reactions to overturning Roe v Wade - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2022

"Do you know what it feels like to have the President of the United States target you?" Those were the haunting words of Ruby Freeman, an election worker in Fulton County Georgia describing to the January 6th Committee what it was like when Donald Trump and his allies spread grotesque lies about Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Shaye Moss, accusing them of illegally dredging up suitcases of Biden ballots late at night to throw the 2020 election. None of it was true of course. The FBI, the US Attorney's office in Atlanta, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, they all reviewed the video of Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss counting ballots on election night. And concluded none of it showed anything improper. Just two humble election workers doing their job under difficult circumstances. It was yet more powerful testimony of the chaos that Donald Trump unleashed upon the country. But are the hearings breaking through? Are they penetrating the public pre-occupied with soaring gas prices, punishing inflation, and scorching summer heatwaves? Julie Pace, Executive Editor of the AP and Stephen Engelberg Editor of ProPublica join live from the Collision Conference in Toronto Canada to discuss. GUESTS: Julie Pace, (@JuliePace), Executive Editor, The Associated Press Sol Wisenberg, (@SteveEngelberg), Editor in Chief, ProPublica HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES:Yahoo News' story on Trump's pressure put on state election officials - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2022

An excerpt from the video taped testimony of Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann revealed this past Thursday described a phone call he got from John Eastman the day after Jan 6th in which the supposed constitutional scholar was unrepentant. Still clinging to the idea somehow some way, the results of the 2020 election could still be overturned. It was a remarkable moment that. was too much for Heerschmann, telling Eastman that he was out of "f'ing mind." And he needed a great criminal defense lawyer because he was going to need it. Words that Eastman, as we learned during Thursday's January 6th hearing, apparently took to heart, reaching out just days later to Rudy Giuliani in search of a presidential pardon. The testimony at the Thursday hearing was powerful as the committee laid out in excruciating detail a relentless pressure campaign by Trump himself, aided every step of the way, by John Eastman to get Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally reject the certified election results. An authority he demonstrably did not have. In some ways it may have been the most significant presentation yet. Laying out elements that Eastman well knew that what he was doing was potentially illegal and unconstitutional. Has the committee finally made its case that Trump and Eastman had made prosecutable crimes? And what more does the panel have in store? Hugo Lowell of The Guardian, who's been all over the January 6th story from the start, joins to discuss. GUESTS:Hugo Lowell, (@hugolowell), Congressional reporter for @Guardian HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News RESOURCES: Key Takeaways from Day 3 of Jan 6th Congressional Hearings - Here. The outline of Trump's pressure campaign on Pence - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 17 June 2022

An excerpt from one of the video clips played at Monday's January 6th Committee Hearing in which Donald Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, recounts the debate that went on within the White House on election night. Stepien and other top campaign aides were telling Trump to hold off on declaring victory that night, that there were still lots more votes to be counted. And that his slender but steadily slipping margins were starting to fade away. But Trump would have none of it and listen instead to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, "obviously intoxicated," according to his campaign aide Jason Miller, who told the President to claim he was the rightful winner in an election marked by rampant voter fraud. It was a critical moment when Trump's bogus claims of fraud, pushed in turn by his drunk lawyer, became amplified to the whole country resulting ultimately in the tragic events of January 6th. Is the committee building an air-tight case against the former President? We get perspectives from two veteran legal observers - Matt Miller, the former Chief of Public Affairs for the Justice Department during the Obama Administration and Sol Wisenberg, a criminal defense lawyer and a former top Deputy to Whitewater independent council Ken Starr. GUESTS: Matthew Miller, (@matthewamiller), Partner at Vianovo. MSNBC analyst Sol Wisenberg, (@WisenbergSol), White Collar Defense Atty. Fox News Contributor HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Yahoo News' key takeaways from the Jan. 6th Hearings Day 2 (@CEDickson) - Here. Isikoff's story about debunked allegations over voter fraud in Georgia during 2020 election - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2022

“Stay the hell out of it!” Those were the key words from the so-called smoking gun tape, the conversation between Richard Nixon and his Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman about how to get the FBI to back off its investigation into the Watergate break-in that occurred fifty years ago this week, June 17th, 1972. The plan they came up with in the days after the burglary was to get the CIA and its powerful director Richard Helms to tell the then head of the FBI, L. Patrick Gray to back off, to stay the hell out of it, to drop the probe into the financing of the break-in unless dark agency secrets would be revealed. It was a lie of course, the Watergate break-in had been bankrolled by Nixon campaign donors and not the agency spooks at Langley. But as Jefferson Morley writes in his new book, Scorpions Dance: The President, The Spymaster and Watergate, Helms was prepared to do what Nixon wanted, at least first. He drafted a memo instructing two deputies that the agency needed to instruct the bureau to quote, “Confine themselves to the personalities already arrested.” And “desist from expanding this investigation into other areas.” Helms may have later gotten cold feet, but as Morley reminds us it was just one of many examples of the exceedingly strange and still mysterious relationship between Nixon and the Spy Master, a dynamic in which each man seemed to have abundant blackmail material against each other. As the country prepares to commemorate the half-century anniversary of Watergate, we’ll look back at the events of that era and get a fascinating new take on why they matter more than ever as Morley joins us. GUESTS:Eric Holder, (@jeffersonmorley), Author, Scorpions Dance: The President, The Spymaster and Watergate HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Pick up Morley's book Scorpions Dance: The President, The Spymaster and Watergate - Here. Recent story on Watergate - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2022

Congresswoman Liz Cheney Thursday night laid out the case that Donald Trump orchestrated an attempted coup to block the peaceful transfer of power. And then sat back and watched in apparent approval while his supporters ransacked the US Capitol. It was the opening night of six public hearings on the January 6th attack that committee members will hope galvanize the public to what they believe is an on-going threat to American democracy. The hearing was marked by a compelling new video, illustrating the role that the extremest Proud Boys played in the attack and how Trump's own words inspired them. A Capitol Police officer told of slipping on the blood of her colleagues while trying to defend the Capitol that day. But did Cheney make the case that Trump was criminally responsible for what transpired. We're joined by the former Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder, author of the new book Our Unfinished March, to discuss that and more. GUESTS:Eric Holder, (@ericholder), Fmr. Attorney General of the US, Author of Our Unfinished March HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Pick up Eric Holder's book Our Unfinished March - Here. Yahoo News article about Trump's reaction to Jan. 6 Hearing - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 10 June 2022

They may be the most anticipated and consequential of congressional hearings in decades. After eleven months of work and over one thousand interviews the committee investigating the January 6th 2021 attack on the US Capitol will premiere this week in primetime on Thursday at 8pm. With all the TV networks except for Fox News of course planning full coverage. The committee is touting evidence of what its members are calling a criminal conspiracy led by Donald Trump to subvert the will of the people and overturn the results of the 2020 election. But as Washington gears up for the extravaganza and outside groups plan watch parties with free ice cream, there are still questions about just how strong the committee’s evidence is. And perhaps more importantly whether a public pre-occupied with soaring gas prices, mass shootings, and shortages of baby formula, will tune in. We’ll talk to Yahoo News’ Tom LoBianco about what to expect from the hearings. And then we’ll hear from Norm Eisen of the Brookings Institution on why they matter. GUESTS: Norm Eisen, (@NormEisen), Senior Fellow @brookingsgov, Chair @statesunited, Legal Analyst @cnn Tom LoBianco (@tomlobianco), Politics reporter @yahoonews HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES:Yahoo News' "What You Need To Know" about the Jan. 6th Hearings - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2022

Uniquely Nasty, a Yahoo News documentary from 2015, explored the little known story of the US Government’s relentless persecution of gays in the Cold War era, focusing in part on how the FBI under Hoover’s direction, tracked the names of tens of thousands of suspected gays and lesbians working for the Federal Government. And then took steps to have them fired. It was just one piece of a so-called lavender scare that left in its wake a trail of fear, paranoia, and destroyed lives. The full story of the US Government’s jihad against gay America is now being told in a landmark book, The Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington, by journalist James Kirchick. Kirchick’s book brings to life the largely invisible stories of senior government officials at the State Department, the White House, and in Congress, who lived in fear that their secret lives would become publicly known. And how their careers were shattered when their homosexuality was exposed, often for political or bureaucratic advantage. It’s a shocking story that is a reminder of how much about America’s dark past of persecution has been obscured yet remains highly relevant to themes in our current politics. Kirchick joins to discuss the excruciating agony that denizens of the secret city experienced. And why it is a crucial chapter in American history. GUESTS:James Kirchick, (@jkirchick), Author of the book Gunfight. HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Pick up James Kirchick's book The Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington - Here. Watch the groundbreaking Yahoo News documentary "Uniquely Nasty: The U.S. Government's War on Gays - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2022

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy addressed the Senate on Tuesday afternoon after the gut-wrenching news out of Texas. Another school massacre in which twenty-two people were killed, nineteen of them young children. Murphy could barely control himself. It was in his state where ten years ago there had been another slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School where twenty-six people were killed, twenty of them school children. Yet no matter how many of these senseless tragedies, the congress of the United States remains hopelessly deadlocked when it comes to passing sensible gun control measures that might, at least might, make even a small difference. Is there nothing that could change the iron-grip of the gun lobby on the United States Congress? We're joined by Ryan Busse, who once worked in the gun industry himself and is now the author of Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America. GUESTS:Ryan Busse, (@ryandbusse), Author of the book Gunfight. HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Yahoo News story on the victims of the Uvalde School Shooting in TX - Here. You can read Busse's book - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2022

Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger spoke to a small group of supporters Tuesday night explaining how he pulled off his surprise victory for re-election over a Donald Trump backed opponent. It was a truly extraordinary comeback for Raffensperger, barley a year ago his chances were viewed as hopeless. After refusing Trump's entreaties to find just enough votes to flip Georgia's electoral tally, Raffensperger was denounced by the ex President as an enemy of the people. And he got death threats from Trump's supporters. But Raffensperger stood his ground, and as he put it, refused to buckle under the pressure. Even while, at the same time, he quietly and methodically courted conservative voters with talk about protecting election integrity in the future. The result, combined with Brian Kemp's landslide victory in the governor's race, was a stinging rebuke to Trump. What does all this say about Trump's standing in the Republican Party and how to assess the high-stakes battles in the general election? Not just in Raffensperger's race but in the big contest for governor, Kemp vs Stacy Abrams, and US Senate, Warnock vs Hershel Walker. We are joined by two savvy Georgia political consultants, Republican strategist Brian Robinson and Democratic strategist Chris Huttman. GUESTS: Brian Robinson, (@LordTinsdale), President of Robinson Republic Chris Huttman, Research Director at Canal Partners Media HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES:Isikoff's story on Raffensperger's victory over Trump-backed opponent - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 25 May 2022

The new podcast series Will Be Wild focuses on the run up to and the aftermath of the January 6th assault on the US Capitol. It's a deeply reported and at time astonishing series that explores the violent undercurrents that were circulating amongst far-right circles in the years leading up to the attack. The encouragement that those activists got from Donald Trump, and the catastrophic failure of law enforcement and intelligence officials to connect the dots and protect the US Congress from a mob hellbent on trying to overthrow the results of an American Presidential election. As we get closer to next month's long awaited hearings from the January 6th Committee, the Will Be Wild podcast offers an alarming preview of what the country maybe about to hear. Andrea Bernstein and Ilya Marritz, the hosts of the aforementioned podcast, join to discuss. GUESTS: Andrea Bernstein (@AndreaBNYC), Investigative journalist, author, co-host of the podcast WILL BE WILD Ilya Marritz (@ilyamarritz), co-host of Will Be Wild podcast & covering Trump legal for @npr HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: You can listen to the Will Be Wild podcast - Here. Yahoo News' reporting on the January 6th Committee issuing subpoenas to 5 House Republicans - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2022

Recent tapes of Senator Lindsay Graham talking to New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin on the afternoon of Jan. 6th, 2021 have now been released. It reaffirms what many Republicans were thinking that day about the riot that Donald Trump had just unleashed upon the US Capitol. And expressed hope that the new Democratic President, Joe Biden, could lower the temperature and bring the country together. But as Martin and his Times colleague Alex Burns document in their new book, This Too Shall Pass, that sentiment amongst most GOP lawmakers, Graham prominent among them, didn't last long. And Graham's prognosis that the trauma of Jan. 6th would lead to great national unity couldn't have been more wrong. The United States according to Martin and Burns is facing a political emergency with two parties, who authors write, are not merely advisories but enemies in a domestic cold war that had started to run hot. How hot can it get? And is there any way at this point to cool things down? Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns join to discuss. GUESTS: Jonathan Martin (@alexburnsNYT), New York Times Reporter and author Alex Burns (@jmartNYT), New York Times Reporter and author HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: You can pick up Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns' new book This Too Shall Pass - Here. The Lindsay Graham Jan. 6th tapes - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2022

Politico dropped a bombshell story that stung the political and legal world last week after obtaining a leaked draft opinion written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that would appear to be an overturning of Roe v Wade, the 1973 opinion that gave women the constitutional right to abortion. The story was astonishing on multiple levels. It showed that a majority of the court was in fact preparing to discard a core freedom that has been relied on by American women for nearly half a century. But it was also the first time anybody can remember when a draft opinion report had been leaked and published before the court had announced it, making POLITICO's story the mega-scoop of the year if not decade. Josh Gerstein, one of two POLITICO reporters who broke the story, joins to discuss. Then, Carolyn Shapiro, a former clerk to retiring Justice Stephen Breyer weighs in on how the court has operated and may operate differently in the future. GUESTS: Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein), Senior Legal Affairs Reporter, POLITICO Carolyn Shapiro (@cshaplaw), Law prof & co-director, @ISCOTUS @ChicagoKentLaw HOSTS: Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host) RESOURCES: Yahoo News/YouGov Poll on the current confidence of Supreme Court - Here. Yahoo News piece the day the leak was reported - Here. Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPodListen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2022

As hundreds of reports gather for this weekend's White House Correspondents Dinner, there's one burning issue that remains a lively topic of discussion and debate. Will Donald Trump finally be indicted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election? To address that question, we assembled an All-Star panel to dissect the complicated legal and political issues facing federal and state prosecutors and ultimately Attorney General Merrick Garland's Justice Department. Bob Woodward and Carol Leonnig of The Washington Post have both written books about Trump's efforts to cling to office, and New York litigator and longtime Republican George Conway has been one of Trump's most persistent legal critics. They spoke to us at a special taping before a live audience at Washington's Politics & Prose bookstore. It ended up being quite a lively conversion. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2022