The Counsel

Latest Episodes:

Note from Elie 2/11: DOJ Abandons Adams Prosecution — and Independence Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Counsel at Lowenstein Sandler and a CNN legal analyst.

For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Elie 2/7: The “Make Me” Presidency Feb 07, 2025

Show notes

For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Barb: Trump’s Demonization of Public Servants Feb 05, 2025

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Note from Elie 1/31: Donald Trump’s Assault on DOJ Jan 31, 2025

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Note from Rachel 1/29: Pardons Without Process Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

CAFE Contributor Rachel Barkow reflects on the pardons issued by President Trump and former President Biden, highlighting the flaws in the pardon process and necessary reforms.

Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at NYU. From 2013 to 2019, she served as a Member of the United States Sentencing Commission. From 2010 to 2020, she was a member of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Conviction Integrity Policy Advisory Panel and co-chaired Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s transition committee on police accountability in 2021. She is also amongst the most cited legal scholars of all time.

For a transcript of Rachel’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Elie 1/24: The Power of Pardons (To Distract) Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Asha 1/22: Meta's Pay to Play Gambit Jan 22, 2025

Show notes

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security.

For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Elie 1/14: Jack Smith, Paper Tiger Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Elie 1/10: The Trump Hush Money Sentencing: A Felon, Unpunished Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

For a transcript of Elie’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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Note from Barb 1/8: Only One President is a Felon Jan 08, 2025

Show notes

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com.

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