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Paul Alan Levy

@paulalanlevy.bsky.social
700 followers 28 following 1.3K posts

Litigator, soccer nut. I litigated union democracy, free speech and IP issues at Public Citizen from 1977 to 2026. The views expressed here are my own.

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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23h
Denial of motion by Trump and his lawyers for stay of the S.D. Fla's sanctions for their collusive case setting up slush fund. Importantly, the speech injunction is upheld only as narrowly read by the trial court as barring mischaracterizations only in official proceedings, not in campaigns
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I agree with Eidelson's argument (and was pleased to author an amicus brief supporting Harvard against the Trump Administration's attack)
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Reposted by Paul Alan Levy
James Packard Love @jamielove.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
US Commerce Secretary and former Cantor CEO Howard Lutnick is listed as the patent’s lead inventor. PTO Director John Squires recently compared Lutnick to Thomas Edison due to his boss’ inventing prowess. news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/draft...
news.bloomberglaw.com
DraftKings Asks Patent Office to Void Cantor Fitzgerald Patent
DraftKings Inc. urged an administrative tribunal at the US Patent and Trademark Office to invalidate a patent that a Cantor Fitzgerald unit accused it of copying.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Agree that this requires promotion
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It appears that the White House affidavit, swearing that pool reporter had access restored by shortly before 10 AM, was perjurious: It will be interesting to see whether the affidavit, when refiled per the Clerk's order, will be modified
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
White House filed an affidavit effectively claiming that it fixed the non-compliance issue a few hours after the media plaintiffs complained about its contempt of court storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Declaration – #27 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
DECLARATION by STEVEN CHEUNG, SEAN M. CURRAN, DONALD J. TRUMP, SUSAN WILES. (Velchik, Michael) (Entered: 09/24/2026)
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Apparently the White House is not complying with Judge Kelly's TRO (his order specifically refused to grant a stay) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... The judge has ordered a response by 12:30 PM www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823...
storage.courtlistener.com
Notice (Other) – #25 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
NOTICE of Defendants' Non-Compliance with Temporary Restraining Order and Request for Immediate Hearing by CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., AKAYLA GARDNER, CHEYENNE HASLETT, BETSY KLEIN, MS NOW CABLE, LLC, P...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
While the rest of us were sleeping, the judge and his clerks were hard at work, issuing this in the small hours of the morning. Brief opinion based ONLY on due process, which leaves Trump the option of playing out the charade and kicking them out again storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Order on Motion for TRO AND Set/Reset Deadlines – #24 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
Temporary Restraining Order. See Order for details. Signed by Judge Timothy J. Kelly on 9/24/26. (lctjk2) (Entered: 09/24/2026)
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Trump media ban. Judge's words at the beginning presage his grant of a TRO, as did his colloquy with counsel. Only question is what grounds (if not all of the above).
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Trump media ban argument is on C-SPAN www.youtube.com/live/06hnsW1...
youtube.com
Court Hearing on Trump's Media Ban
YouTube video by C-SPAN
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
5/ Fun tidbit - DoJ neglected to have its brief proofread (or, its proofreaders are incompetent): The name of the DC Circuit decision from 1977 is misspelled four times (ht @mikescarcella.bsky.social). Decision by Carl McGowan, one of the giants of the DC CIrcuit, joined by Leventhal and Robb
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
4/ Exhibits (filed just before midnight Tuesday) are here www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823...
courtlistener.com
CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP, 1:26-cv-03287 - CourtListener.com
Docket for CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP, 1:26-cv-03287 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
3/ DoJ cites letters to CNN/MSNOW/Politico complaining about their reporting on various incidents. Trump had claimed these reports were FAKE NEWS. But now he argues that the reports disclosed classified information --implicitly, that they were all too true.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
2/ DoJ admits that in a series of cases going back 49 years, the DC Circuit has ruled against them on whether most parts of the White House are a non-public forum where discrimination based on viewpoint is restricted, but it says that decision is wrong and should be overruled
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
1/ DoJ's theory about why barring access to the White House is justified is that Politico, MSNOW and CNN jeopardized national security, and revealed classified information by contradicting Trump's lies in reporting about the ballroom construction project. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Response to motion – #16 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
RESPONSE re 2 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order filed by STEVEN CHEUNG, SEAN M. CURRAN, DONALD J. TRUMP, SUSAN WILES. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit CNN Letter, # 2 Exhibit MSNOW Letter, # 3 Exhibit P...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Speaking of the right to record: judges commonly proclaim that recording a public hearing that is publicly broadcasted is forbidden. By what authority is this prohibited? Is it consistent with the First Amendment? For example, see the Sept. 22 entry www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823...
courtlistener.com
CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP, 1:26-cv-03287 - CourtListener.com
Docket for CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP, 1:26-cv-03287 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
To listen to the Wednesday 3:30 PM hearing on the suit to invalidate Trump's ban on CNN, MSNOW and Politico reporters' access to the White House, call 833-990-9400; Meeting ID is 433360750. Court claims it can forbid recording of the hearing -- which is ridiculous
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Fascinating legal dispute over ownership of art created by a prisoner at Mengele's behest. But on the theory invoked by the Auschwitz Museum, wouldn't the German government, not the Polish museum, be the owner of the artwork? (Germany would likely give to the heirs) www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/a...
nytimes.com
Heirs Sue Auschwitz Museum Over Art Their Mother Made Under the Nazis
Josef Mengele, the “Angel of Death” doctor, ordered Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, an Auschwitz prisoner, to create watercolor paintings. Her daughters want them back.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
CNN et al have sought a TRO against the White House ban. Judge Kelly has ordered a response by tomorrow; hearing will be by videoconference on Wednesday 3:30 PM Memo is here storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... Docket with links to other docs here: www.courtlistener.com/docket/74823...
storage.courtlistener.com
Memorandum in Support – #2, Att. #1 in CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC. v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:26-cv-03287) – CourtListener.com
MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order by CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., Akayla Gardner, Cheyenne Haslett, Betsy Klein, MS NOW Cable, LLC, POLITICO LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Declara...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Texas state university punishes students for exercising disfavored editorial judgments about a Jewish student's proffered reasons for supporting Israel www.courtlistener.com/docket/74799...
courtlistener.com
Gutierrez v. Moghe, 1:26-cv-02546 - CourtListener.com
Docket for Gutierrez v. Moghe, 1:26-cv-02546 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Liar-in-Chief is losing much of his TV coverage www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/b...
nytimes.com
Networks Suspend Pool Coverage of Trump After White House Bans CNN
The move was an escalation of President Trump’s showdown with the White House press corps after he moved to bar journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Documentary about a German photographer who documented the Armenian genocide, and who later denounced Hitlerism, and paid by imprisonment and torture. By the son of one of my Reed College friends. "When faced win injustice, he chose to act, to speak up" www.lowellmilkencenter.org/competitions...
lowellmilkencenter.org
Armin T. Wegner - Against the Silence | The Discovery Award
Armin T. Wegner – Against the Silence tells the story of Armin T. Wegner, who risked his safety to document the Armenian Genocide. Through his documentary, Noah Make explores how Wegner used photograp...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Will DHS staffers be prosecuted in Virginia state courts? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/u...
nytimes.com
Virginia Attorney General: D.H.S. Likely Broke State Law in Voter Fraud Investigation
The department has pulled hundreds of agents from their regular duties to find noncitizens on the voter rolls, despite decades of evidence that widespread voter fraud is exceptionally rare in the Unit...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Judge Cooper refuses to hold a contempt hearing but authorizes plaintiff Beatty to start demanding documents and taking depositions to pursue the issues she has raised, including Trump's threat to demolish www.courtlistener.com/docket/72069...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Kennedy Center claims current closure is only temporary, for 7 days to address emergency safety issue (maybe while they make up new "evidence" about how it needs to close longer unless Trump's name on the building magically solves all the safety issues?) storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
Response to motion – #86 in BEATTY v. TRUMP (D.D.C., 1:25-cv-04480) – CourtListener.com
RESPONSE re 84 Emergency MOTION for Hearing Regarding Shutdown filed by BRIAN D. BALLARD, MARIA BARTIROMO, PAMELA J. BONDI, MARY HELEN BOWERS, HANNAH F. BUCHAN, SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, ROBERT CASTELLANI...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Another angle on Robert Kraft
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Reposted by Paul Alan Levy
Lisa Guerrero @lisaguerrero.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Not only did I meet Robert Kraft, I worked for him. His kid Jonathan asked me to “remove the black music” from my gameday playlist in ‘94 & I refused so they fired me. I was the cheerleader director at the time.  I sued them for wrongful termination and won. So yes, I know that motherfucker. 
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Trump Admin's response to Rep. Beatty's emergency motion about Kennedy Center's closing, filed this afternoon, is due Thursday morning at 10 AM. Judge will decide whether to hold a hearing after that is filed. www.courtlistener.com/docket/72069...
courtlistener.com
BEATTY v. TRUMP, 1:25-cv-04480 - CourtListener.com
Docket for BEATTY v. TRUMP, 1:25-cv-04480 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Would Trump be content with the following plaque on the Kennedy Center grounds? "Yet another entity that Donald Trump has steered into bankruptcy"
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
What a change! Now it is the supposedly "anti-woke" right-wingers who demand content warnings that might trigger discomfort on seeing statements about history www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/a...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Outlines Plan for Signs Outside Smithsonian Museum
In a letter, the Interior Department detailed what it hoped to convey on 12 signs to be installed outside the National Museum of American History.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The next Congress might need to use subpoenas to obtain evidence to be used in state prosecutions of the officials responsible for these criminal actions. Trump cannot pardon state crimes.....
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Absolute hack -- priceless
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The Trump DoJ's application for a Supreme Court stay of Judge Talwani's injunction against USPS's rule obstructing mail ballots has been denied www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Well said by John Schwartz!
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Impressive young man www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLDE...
youtube.com
Jimmy Kimmel’s Interview with James Talarico That the FCC Doesn’t Want You To See
YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Fascinating thread about the rivalry between Kansas and Missouri
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Classic from the lawyer seeking to enforce the Missouri Supreme Court's order "“I went to a state school but we seem to have a reading problem” www.youtube.com/watch?v=04vz...
youtube.com
LIVE: Missouri Supreme Court hears contempt case over Trump-backed congressional map
YouTube video by Associated Press
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A clever way for Kimmel to grab eyes for his impending YouTube posting of the interview. Wouldn't it be cool if his audience is bigger than it would have been on TV!
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Kansas Senate race is unexpectedly tight. This analysis won't help Marshall's re-election campaign. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/u...
nytimes.com
Roger Marshall Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator.
Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is awful, but does the solution come from official censorship or from fan reaction when these teams play in other cities or other countries? www.nytimes.com/athletic/757...
nytimes.com
Crvena Zvezda and Ratko Mladic: Why is a famous European club celebrating a war criminal?
Fans sparked controversy with a huge tifo honouring Mladic, who was convicted of committing genocide in the 1990s
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
But how shall we rename Trump? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/07/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Posts Map Suggesting New Mexico Be Renamed as ‘New America’
The suggestion, posted on social media, appeared to be the latest in the president’s efforts to alter geographic names.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Excellent analysis here that focuses on the balance of equities, with the merits backing into that analysis rather than being the focus
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Judge Talwani's preliminary injunction thoroughly dissects problems posed by USPS final rule aimed at disrupting mail ballots in elections, & statutory scheme giving the states primacy on this issue, subject to regulation by Congress and not the executive storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
For a defense lawyer to attack an individual juror in this way is outrageous. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/09...
nytimes.com
Update from Mark Arsenault
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Of course, BOTH can be problems, from one case to another. Sometimes, too, the accused is a victim (as is many Trump-era prosecutions). Thanks to conscientious fellow citizens who sit on juries (and grand juries) and do their best. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/09...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Thanks for calling attention to this excellent story about modern means of promoting a political leader's influence operation. Just what we expect from a top-notch newspaper. Even leaders we like should be subject to close press scrutiny.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Seems to me that if Dawn Nessel cannot fully support the candidate who won the Michigan primary, others might not support her next time around www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/u...
nytimes.com
El-Sayed Wants to Mend Ties With Jewish Democrats, but Some Are Still Not Impressed
Lingering concerns about the Senate nominee in Michigan could make it harder for him to assemble a winning coalition.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Here I got to think about libel law, and copyright law, and the First Amendment limits on right of publicity claims clpblog.citizen.org/is-public-ra...
clpblog.citizen.org
Is public ranting at Daniel DeSouza a sensible response to a CopyCat Legal demand letter? - CLP Blog
This is a tale of excess. It begins with a demand letter from CopyCat Legal over the signature of its only partner, Daniel DeSouza, threatening to sue Charles Peralo for the use of fourteen celebrity ...
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Nice interview www.nytimes.com/video/obitua...
nytimes.com
Video: Watch Gloria Steinem’s Never-Before-Seen 2008 Interview With The New York Times
In a never-before-seen 2008 interview with The New York Times, Ms. Steinem reflected on her career as a writer, organizer and fund-raiser.
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Paul Alan Levy @paulalanlevy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Outstanding line from Hochul: “Let me translate that in real simple terms: Donald Trump is defunding the police” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/n...
nytimes.com
Hochul Accuses Trump of Betraying 9/11 Victims by ‘Defunding the Police’
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on President Trump to free up $87 million in federal funds to pay for bomb squads and other counterterrorism measures in New York.
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