Reposted by John RothNathan Goldwag @goldwagnathan.bsky.social · 06/03/2026SHOULD THE U.S BLOT OUT THE SUN AND USHER IN AN AGE OF ETERNAL DARKNESS? - Gallup 2/20/26-3/5/26 NO - 41% YES - 38% UNSURE - 21% 318135982930
Reposted by John RothDavid Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 20/01/2026This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again. www.nature.com/immersive/d4... 91147798501
Reposted by John RothRobert Black @hurricanexyz.bsky.social · 20/01/2026This country's problems are, first and foremost, the fault of its people The people need to be better for the country to get better 111214
Reposted by John RothDavy Pottel @drpottel.bsky.social · 11/01/2026The catalog of ICE abuses in Noah Smith’s article is staggering. 11753244
Reposted by John RothLongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 25/12/2025ICE detain father shopping on Christmas Eve—then steal his family's groceries. Then 3 agents divvy up his paid for food—taking what they want for themselves. "Can I just get the wife's number to call and let her know?" woman asks. "No, guess he should've complied," agent says. Yakima, Washington 72073664539
Reposted by John RothLuca Trenta @lucatrenta.bsky.social · 18/12/2025Just so we are all on the same page, when Trump says that 11 months ago he inherited a ‘mess,’ this is the mess he inherited. 25122
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 02/12/2025This is quite a startling drop, to the detriment of public safety. 043
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 26/11/2025Another apparent series of misrepresentations to two federal courts by the Department of Justice in the Abrego Garcia cases. 142
Reposted by John RothAaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20/11/2025THREAD: Judge Ellis is the first federal judge to review extensive body cam video of DHS's actions in Chicago. She finds that DHS *repeatedly* misled the public and made claims that were disproven by agents' own videos. I'll go through some of the most egregious ones here. 17083353517
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 22/11/2025This is insane. A government I no longer recognize. 010
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 21/11/2025Inconceivable numbers. Each one would be a scandal in normal times. 030
Reposted by John Rothemptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 20/11/2025What We Know about the Day of Jim Comey's Indictment www.emptywheel.net/2025/11/20/w...emptywheel.netWhat We Know about the Day of Jim Comey's Indictment - emptywheelLet’s assume for the moment that, to the extent the players involved in indicting Jim Comey understand the least little bit about what went down, they’re telling the truth. Here’s what Lindsey Halliga... 815965
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 20/11/2025 A couple of days ago, we saw another data point, not well publicized, about the cultural health of the Department of Justice. 100
Reposted by John RothRoy L. Austin, Jr. @raustinjr.bsky.social · 17/11/2025To be clear, if you are still driving a Tesla or using X/Twitter, this is what you are supporting. There are non-racist, non-antisemitic alternatives that at least try to tell the truth. apple.news/AZsDQzHogSEO...apple.newsWhite nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience: welcome to Elon Musk’s Grokipedia — Guardian USWorld’s richest person wanted to ‘purge’ propaganda from Wikipedia, so he created a compendium of racist disinformation 11712
Reposted by John RothThe Steady State @thesteadystate.org · 15/11/2025One hallmark of democratic erosion is when leaders treat dissent as betrayal. Here, Trump attacks an elected official for independent voting choices, and it’s a classic sign of replacing party pluralism with personal loyalty. 613843
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 08/11/2025For those who are interested in the true culture of the Department of Justice (at least historically) I recommend the following: open.substack.com/pub/justicec...open.substack.comCurrent Assistant U.S. Attorneys Have the Privilege to Represent the United StatesYou don't represent a president, an attorney general, or a U.S. Attorney. You represent the cause of justice, and that is a privilege – but also a responsibility. 030
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 07/11/2025Judge Ellis ruled yesterday that the lead Border Patrol official in charge of DHS' immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, Gregory Bovino, admitted that he lied in sworn deposition testimony concerning the use of force during operations. capitolnewsillinois.com/news/restric...capitolnewsillinois.comRestrictions on federal immigration agents’ use of riot control weapons extended indefinitelyArticle Summary A federal judge has indefinitely extended restrictions on immigration agents’ use of riot control weapons like tear gas 172
Reposted by John RothThe Steady State @thesteadystate.org · 05/11/2025Culture and Courage open.substack.com/pub/steadyst... Critical guardrails against tyranny: Personal and professional ethics and courage.open.substack.comCulture and CourageThe Steady State | by The Honorable John Roth 02915
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 06/11/2025I’ve been thinking a bit over the last few months about organizational culture, including the culture of the Department of Justice, where I spent the majority of my career. So I wrote something: substack.com/@steadystate...substack.comThe Steady State (@steadystate1)Critical guardrails against tyranny: personal and professional ethics and courage. 000
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 20/10/2025www.cbsnews.com/news/erez-re... More troubling news on the status of the Justice Department, this time in a report from 60 Minutes.cbsnews.comFired Justice Department lawyer says he refused to lie in the Abrego Garcia caseFormer Justice Department lawyer Erez Reuveni is speaking out about a pattern of troubling behavior he says he witnessed inside the DOJ that undermined the rule of law. 132
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 18/10/2025Two more career prosecutors (this time in EDVA) fired for upholding their ethical obligations. (Specifically, "refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause.") Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...nytimes.comProsecutor Who Rejected Trump’s Pressure to Charge James Is Fired 172
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 10/10/2025 Not a single AUSA from EDVA appeared at Jim Comey’s arraignment. It speaks both to the integrity of the AUSAs in that office and the ill motives in bringing the indictment. 071
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 04/10/2025District court opinion granting an evidentiary hearing in Abrego Garcia on vindictive prosecution because Todd Blanche, Krist Noam, and Pam Bondi couldn’t keep their mouths shut. Full opinion here: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...storage.courtlistener.com 151
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 03/10/2025In 1987 I took my first oath as a federal prosecutor, to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States.” 172
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 30/05/2025The single most important attribute of an Inspector General is independence. Without that, nothing else matters. I hope the Senate will take its role seriously in examining the fitness of these candidates. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...washingtonpost.comTrump oversight picks include scandal-hit ex-lawmaker, antiabortion lawyerSeveral nominees have clearly partisan backgrounds, including two with controversial histories and two with ties to the agency they would be investigating. 062
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 30/04/2025www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...theguardian.comTrump officials increasingly recruit local police for immigration enforcement despite ‘red flags’Agreements with agencies in 38 states resurrect aggressive tactics shelved more than a decade ago amid alarm about civil rights abuses 151
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 27/04/2025www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/u...nytimes.comJustice Dept. Policy Now Allows Pursuit of Reporters’ Records in Leak Inquiries (Gift Article)A new memo suggests that investigations may be launched not just for leaks of classified information, but where disclosures “undermine” Trump administration policies. 121
Reposted by John RothMichael J. Stern @michaeljstern.bsky.social · 13/04/2025My new column: I’ve always cringed when people say, “Live everyday like it’s your last.” If I did that, the remainder of my days would be devoted to eating fried chicken wings while sitting on my sofa watching "The Real Housewives." www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...usatoday.comAnother person I love has died. I've developed a horrible fear of death. | OpinionIf I 'live everyday like it's your last,' the remainder of my days would be devoted to eating fried chicken while watching 'The Real Housewives.' 4549
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 10/04/2025www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc... David Brooks’ mea culpa is definitely worth a read. An exercise in intellectual humility with some future optimism for our dark times.theatlantic.comI Should Have Seen This ComingWhen I joined the conservative movement in the 1980s, there were two types of people: those who cared earnestly about ideas, and those who wanted only to shock the left. The reactionary fringe has won... 000
Reposted by John RothChris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 08/04/2025A DHS spokesperson defended Trump’s gutting of the agency’s civil rights office, saying of the fired staffers: “rather than supporting law enforcement efforts, they often functioned as internal adversaries to slow down operations.” New, @davidmcswane.bsky.social @hannahallam.bsky.socialpropublica.org“They Don’t Care About Civil Rights”: Trump’s Shuttering of DHS Oversight Arm Freezes 600 Cases, Imperils Human RightsThe closure of the 150-person office, which protected the civil rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens, strips Homeland Security of its internal guardrails as the Trump administration turns DHS i... 062
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 02/04/2025Insightful interactive article last week in the New York Times (in which I am quoted) on the tactics used by the Department of Government Efficency (DOGE). www.nytimes.com/interactive/...nytimes.comThe DOGE Playbook Targeting Federal Agencies (Gift Article)The cost-cutting strategy of the group, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has played out at more than 30 agencies so far. 42113
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 28/03/2025This nakedly political nomination for HHS IG is the next step in the Administration’s apparent plan: first to defang the current IGs, then to weaponize the position by appointing cronies who will do the administration’s bidding. apnews.com/article/hhs-...apnews.comTrump nominates Republican once accused of mishandling taxpayer funds as HHS watchdogPresident Donald Trump has nominated a Republican attorney who was once accused of mishandling taxpayer funds and who has a history of launching investigations against abortion clinics to lead the Dep... 32714
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 21/03/2025The Administration fired the entire workforce at DHS’ Civil Rights and Civil Liberties office. CRCL was the first line of oversight at DHS, helping to ensure DHS complied with the law. Although they had no independent reporting function, this is another blow to effective government. 100
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 12/03/2025Honored to have testified today before House Homeland Security about the firing of the Inspectors General. Professional and transparent oversight is critical to good government, and the IG community has a track record of results. The President’s actions are a step backward from that goal. 010
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 11/03/2025www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-f...cbsnews.comWhat America is losing as President Trump fires independent government watchdogsPresident Trump has fired heads of offices and agencies tasked, since Watergate, with protecting federal workers and whistleblowers. Scott Pelley reports on what's happening to independent watchdogs. 000
Reposted by John RothProject On Government Oversight @pogo.org · 05/03/2025The Constitution gave Congress the power to check the executive—but if they won’t use it, it’s meaningless. Will lawmakers keep watching from the sidelines as power continues to shift away from them? #ChecksAndBalances 0189
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 11/03/2025youtube.com/watch?v=Gupy...youtube.comThey Were the Original DOGE. Then Trump Fired Them. | NYT OpinionYouTube video by The New York Times 010
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 14/02/2025Just going to put this quote out there, for no reason at all: “The United States Attorney is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all. ..” 110
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 13/02/2025www.pogo.org/post/stateme... A new low, even by the standards of today’s broken political discourse.pogo.orgStatement from Executive Director Danielle Brian on Elon Musk…POGO stands behind Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette and the critical work he does to expose government corruption and waste. 000
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 08/02/2025www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...theatlantic.comCivil Servants Are Not America’s EnemiesTrump wants to bring back the spoils system of the 19th century. 000
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 05/02/2025Life is full of unknowns, and the skill lies in taking the moment and embracing it without fear for the future. 000
Reposted by John RothProject On Government Oversight @pogo.org · 29/01/2025Trump's attempt to fire more than a dozen inspectors general is misguided and could hurt efforts to combat waste and fraud in the federal government. 1141
John Roth @johnrothdc.bsky.social · 30/12/2024True heroism is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. 000
Reposted by John RothPaul @bingowings14.bsky.social · 23/11/2024To be fair she does look like a chicken. 867616786849
Reposted by John RothProject On Government Oversight @pogo.org · 21/11/2024Like so many plans put forth by the next administration, many of the Department of Government Efficiency's proposals are about rewarding friends and punishing enemies, and weaponizing the government against communities who need its services most. 264