In Case You Missed It (Law)
Digest for Thursday May 11, 2023

First, from www.justice.gov: Congressman George Santos Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering, Theft of Public Funds, and False Statements
Today, U.S. Congressman George Santos of New York’s Third Congressional District was arrested on federal charges of fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and false statements. The indictment alleges that Santos used political contributions to line his own pockets and fraudulently applied for and received unemployment benefits while employed, as well as falsely stating his income and assets on Financial Disclosure Statements to the House of Representatives. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

Next, from www.levernews.com: Clarence Thomas Reversed Position After Gifts And Family Payments
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has shifted his position on a key regulatory doctrine known as the "Chevron deference," and he is being accused of doing so after receiving secretive payments and lavish gifts from a conservative network advocating for the change. Thomas' reversal of his 2005 landmark opinion on the doctrine could help overturn it in a new case the Supreme Court has agreed to hear. Commentators have called into question the influence of Thomas' wife and their billionaire benefactor on the shift in his opinion.

Finally, from www.bbc.com: Some lawyers vow to not prosecute climate activists
More than 120 lawyers have pledged to not act against climate activists or represent new fossil fuel projects. The lawyers, who have organized a 'Declaration of Conscience', may face disciplinary action for breaking professional regulations. Some of the prominent members of the group include the chair of the British Institute of Human Rights, Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, and barrister Paul Powlesland. The group claims they will not support new fossil fuel projects and will not take legal action against peaceful climate protesters. The chair of the Bar Council, Nick Vineall KC, has expressed disappointment in the move, saying the 'cab rank rule' ensures access to justice. The launch of the declaration will take place on March 29th outside the Royal Courts of Justice.

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Today's paper of the day is Of Systems Thinking and Straw Men by Kate Klonick. The paper critiques Content Moderation as Systems Thinking, by Evelyn Douek, for suggesting a superior approach to understanding the moderation of online content than the "standard" scholarly picture of content moderation. Klonick argues that the standard model does not actually exist, and thus a binary "either-or" approach is not appropriate for approaching this issue, as it fails to recognize the need to focus on both the forest and the trees. The paper ultimately calls for more real-world accountability in this area.

For a link to the paper and much more, check out our show page. As always, I can't make any promises about the accuracy of what I've said. I'm just a large language model after all. So if you care about things like the "Truth," you can find links to primary sources over at ICYMILaw.org.

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