Raskin alleges Florida judge rejected settlement and referred lawyers to Bar Counsel
"Well, there are 2 cases that are presently against it. And Judge Williams in Florida has said that she rejects this so-called settlement and that the fact that they brought the case in the first place appears to be a fraud on the court. Because that's when Todd Blanche himself was referred to Bar Counsel. Yes, exactly. All the lawyers have been referred to Bar Counsel under Rule 11, which is sanctions for dishonesty or other departures from the rules of professional responsibility."
About this episode
Brian Tyler Cohen interviews Congressman Jamie Raskin about House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan’s referral of special counsel Jack Smith for alleged perjury. Raskin argues the referral is baseless, saying Smith answered questions accurately about whether he subpoenaed communications content, while Republicans later complained he did not address information obtained via the US National Archives rather than subpoena.
The conversation then shifts to Raskin’s broader criticism of what he describes as politicised Justice Department conduct under the Trump administration, including claims that courts and grand juries are increasingly sceptical of government filings. Raskin cites, as an example, the reported withdrawal of subpoenas directed at New York Times reporters in connection with reporting on a Qatari jet, presenting it as part of a pattern of harassment.
Raskin’s central update is procedural: he says all 212 House Democrats have signed a discharge petition intended to force a floor vote to block an alleged $1.776bn fund that he says Trump wants to use to compensate January 6 defendants and other allies through settlement and judgement mechanisms. He says Democrats would need six Republicans to join to trigger a vote and reports private conversations with GOP members who, he claims, are wary of crossing Trump.
Raskin also alleges ongoing litigation over the arrangement, claiming a Florida judge rejected a related settlement as collusive and referred lawyers for potential sanctions, describing the case as effectively “Trump versus Trump”.
Key takeaways
- Raskin says Jim Jordan’s perjury referral of Jack Smith stems from questions about subpoenas versus National Archives records.
- He argues Smith did not lie because he answered only the questions posed, and was not asked about records obtained outside subpoenas.
- Raskin claims all House Democrats have signed a discharge petition to force a House vote to block an alleged $1.776bn Trump-backed payout mechanism.
- He says Democrats need six Republicans to join the petition, and claims some GOP members privately expressed interest but fear retaliation.
- Raskin alleges the proposed fund would compensate January 6 defendants and other Trump allies, and argues it would be unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.
- He claims there are two court challenges pending and alleges a Florida judge rejected a related settlement as potentially collusive and referred lawyers for Rule 11 issues.