Elie Mystal

Justice Correspondent & Columnist

@ElieNYC

Elie Mystal is The Nation’s justice correspondent and the host of its legal podcast, Contempt of Court. He is also an Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center. His first book is the New York Times bestseller Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution, published by The New Press. Elie can be followed @ElieNYC.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott displays a signed border-security bill during a news conference at the Texas State Capitol on June 8, 2023.

Texas’s Latest Act of Anti-Immigrant Cruelty Is Blatantly Unconstitutional Texas’s Latest Act of Anti-Immigrant Cruelty Is Blatantly Unconstitutional

This week, Texas passed a law making undocumented immigration illegal in the state. The question now is: Will the Supreme Court do what’s right?

Dec 21, 2023 / Elie Mystal

A protester stands outside Trump Tower in Manhattan demanding that state governments disqualify former president Trump from appearing on ballots in 2024 under the 14th Amendment.

The Colorado Court’s Ruling Banning Trump From the Ballot Is Sharp as Hell The Colorado Court’s Ruling Banning Trump From the Ballot Is Sharp as Hell

While the ruling will be overturned by the Supreme Court, the conservative justices will have to tie themselves into a knot to do it.

Dec 20, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Special counsel Jack Smith makes a statement to the press in Washington, D.C., August 1, 2023, after former president Donald Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury.

Jack Smith Just Pulled a Serious Poker Move in His Case Against Trump Jack Smith Just Pulled a Serious Poker Move in His Case Against Trump

By appealing Donald Trump’s immunity claims to the Supreme Court, Smith is hoping to force the former president’s legal team to have to abandon that defense.

Dec 14, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Headstones bearing information about people who died from using OxyContin line a security fence outside the Supreme Court Building on Monday, December 4, 2023.

The Rot at the Heart of the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case The Rot at the Heart of the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Case

The case against the makers of OxyContin is about a lot of things—above all the way wealthy people work the system to escape accountability.

Dec 7, 2023 / Elie Mystal

The US Supreme Court Building.

This Supreme Court Case Could Make It Even Harder to Tax Rich People This Supreme Court Case Could Make It Even Harder to Tax Rich People

The case Moore v. United States arose over a disputed $15,000 tax bill. It could cost the United States billions.

Dec 6, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee markup hearing on Thursday, November 30, 2023.

Why Senate Republicans Threw an Epic Hissy Fit Yesterday Why Senate Republicans Threw an Epic Hissy Fit Yesterday

GOP Judiciary Committee members stormed out of a committee meeting after Democrats tried to hold a vote to subpoena wealthy judicial influence-buyers.

Dec 1, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Judge David Ryan Stras is sworn in for his confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, November 29, 2017.

A Rando Trump Judge Just Blew a Giant Hole in the Voting Rights Act A Rando Trump Judge Just Blew a Giant Hole in the Voting Rights Act

In a shocking decision, Judge David Stras joined with fellow GOP appointee Raymond Gruender to make the VRA virtually unenforceable in seven states.

Nov 29, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Donald Trump gestures during the Florida Freedom Summit at the Gaylord Palms Resort on November 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla.

The 14th Amendment Isn’t Going to Save Us From Donald Trump The 14th Amendment Isn’t Going to Save Us From Donald Trump

Yes, Donald Trump’s attempt to foment an insurrection should bar him from running for president, but no judge will have the raw courage to kick him off the ballot.

Nov 21, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Russia’s occupation of Ukraine threatens to weaken Moscow’s power but leave it more determined to confront the US and allies and to wield nuclear threats, a top US spy said.

Goodbye, Joe Manchin—We Won’t Miss You Goodbye, Joe Manchin—We Won’t Miss You

The departure of the pro–fossil fuel, pro–Big Pharma senator from West Virginia is not the tragedy many Democrats think it is.

Nov 16, 2023 / Elie Mystal

Government watchdog Accountable.US shines a light on the facade of the Supreme Court Building as part of a campaign calling attention to corruption on the court.

The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code Won’t Stop the Corruption The Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code Won’t Stop the Corruption

For all the hype, the high court’s flashy new ethics rules are little more than a PR stunt designed to take the heat off scandal-plagued justices.

Nov 14, 2023 / Elie Mystal

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