As we anticipate the Supreme Court's decision in Murthy v. Missouri, NCLA's Jenin Younes has filed a motion in district court citing Congressional testimony revealing that Senior Advisor Dr. David Morens and Dr. Anthony Fauci used personal email accounts to evade Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests during the pandemic. Mark and Jenin delve i…

NCLA has filed a joint opening brief in National Center for Public Policy Research v. SEC, urging the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down new SEC rules requiring extensive climate-related disclosures by public companies. This challenge is combined with U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. SEC, where Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP represents the …

NCLA has filed an amicus curiae brief urging the Supreme Court to consider Chestek PLLC v. Vidal and prevent the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from bypassing notice-and-comment rulemaking. It is crucial that rules with significant economic impact are not issued without public input or consideration of all relevant information. The U.S. Court of …

NCLA has submitted an opening brief in Powell v. SEC, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to overturn the SEC’s refusal to amend its long-standing "Gag Rule." The rule, in place for over five decades, prohibits individuals who settle regulatory enforcement cases with the SEC from publicly criticizing their cases, even truthfully,…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has reversed a district court decision in Johnson v. Smith that upheld a Kansas state law authorizing intrusive warrantless searches for dog training and handling businesses. NCLA filed an amicus curiae brief explaining that the warrantless-search law infringes the Appellants’ Fourth Amendment rights …

The U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-1 decision in Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney, overturning a deferential legal standard that has allowed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enjoin a company’s conduct without showing that it likely broke the law. Justice Thomas authored the Court’s opinion. Justice Jackson provided a ninth vote, concurring i…

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 in the NCLA case of Garland v. Cargill that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ unilateral bump-stock ban conflicts with the federal statute defining “machineguns.” ATF’s regulatory ban, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit shot down early last year, reversed the agency’s ow…

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 in the NCLA case of Garland v. Cargill that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ unilateral bump-stock ban conflicts with the federal statute defining “machineguns.” ATF’s regulatory ban, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit shot down early last year, reversed the agency’s ow…

We awarded Drs. Azadeh Khatibi, Tracy Høeg, Ram Duriseti, Aaron Kheriaty, and Pete Mazolewski NCLA’s Award for Client Bravery. NCLA represented these courageous doctors in the successful Høeg v. Newsom suit challenging a California state law that would have subjected them to discipline for sharing information with patients that departed from the “c…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision in National Association of Private Fund Managers v. Securities and Exchange Commission vacating SEC’s recent final rule restricting—and in some cases prohibiting—certain common contractual agreements between private investment funds and investment advisers. Following the New Civil Li…

We discuss Mark's recent column in Forbes: a brief review of five pending SCOTUS cases: (1) SEC v. Jarkesy; (2) Relentless v. Department of Commerce/ Loper Bright v. Raimondo; (3) Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve; (4) Garland v. Cargill; and (5) Starbucks v. McKinney. Administrative statists have floated a false narrative ab…

The New Civil Liberties Alliance sent a letter informing Dr. Anthony Fauci, his Senior Advisor Dr. David Morens, Dr. Peter Daszak, Dr. Gerald Keusch, Dr. Richard Roberts, Dr. Francis Collins, and Google that they are legally obligated to preserve all documents, communications, and electronically stored information related to their official governme…

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic probes into inflammatory emails authored by a top adviser to Fauci. David Morens, a seasoned federal scientist currently on administrative leave, admitted to deleting emails and using a personal account to avoid disclosing correspondence under the Freedom of Information Act. Join Mark, Vec, and Je…

NCLA submitted comments urging the U.S. Department of Education to abandon its latest proposed rule that would unconstitutionally cancel $147 billion of federal student loan debt owed to the Treasury by an estimated 27.6 million borrowers. The plan even proposes to bestow about $19 billion of that on about 750,000 student loan debtors whose average…

The Fulbright-Hays Fellowship supports U.S. students conducting foreign language research abroad. However, since 1998, the Department of Education has unfairly penalized "non-native-born" students who learned the language through heritage, denying them 15 points out of 105 for language proficiency. Samar Ahmad and Edgar Ulloa Lujan, fluent in Arabi…

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in NRA v. Vullo that the National Rifle Association plausibly accused New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo of violating its rights to free speech and association. In so doing, it reversed a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which had held Vullo’s alleg…

NCLA's Fourth Annual King George III Prize is coming to a close! This campaign highlights the most egregious violations of our basic civil liberties by those responsible for such abuses. In the spirit of March Madness and King George, we are hosting two tournament brackets: one featuring 16 nominees from state and federal agencies and officials who…

NCLA President Mark Chenoweth recently attended the Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference in Austin, TX, where he served as a panelist in a discussion on constitutional challenges to the administrative state and upcoming developments in this area. The panel was so widely attended that the conference scheduled it twice! In this episode, Mark discusses t…

The Supreme Court recently issued its opinion in Harrow v. Department of Defense. In this case, the Court reviewed a judgment from the Federal Circuit, which originally stemmed from a decision by the Merit Systems Protection Board. The Federal Circuit had held that the 60-day statutory deadline for Harrow to file his petition for review was a “juri…

Congratulations to NCLA's Mark Chenoweth and John Vecchione for being named among Washington DC's 500 Most Influential People of 2024 by the Washingtonian! Their unwavering commitment to defending civil liberties is truly commendable and sets a powerful example. In this episode, Mark and Jenin discuss the award as well as the Bradley Award recently…

In a 7-2 decision, the US Supreme Court ruled in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) funding mechanism is constitutional. The CFPB operates with a funding method outside direct Congressional control. The NCLA, along with The Buckeye Instit…

The NCLA has notified the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of its intent to sue the agency over Commissioner Richard Trumka’s alleged violation of Dreamland Baby Co.’s constitutional and statutory rights. Dreamland, which manufactures infant and toddler products, claims Trumka made false and damaging public statements suggesting its w…

NCLA has filed a brief urging the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to overturn Nasdaq’s "Board Diversity Rules," which the SEC implemented without statutory authority. These rules require Nasdaq-listed companies to meet gender, race, and sexual orientation quotas for their boards or explain why, under threat of delisting. Additio…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the dismissal of the In re Bystolic antitrust lawsuit! NCLA supported this outcome in its amicus brief, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) supported the plaintiffs despite not filing suit. NCLA argued that plaintiffs must show a large net payment, not just a large gross payment, to prove…

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has denied nearly all of the government’s motion to dismiss NCLA’s lawsuit, The Daily Wire, The Federalist, Texas v. State Dept., which alleges massive violations of free speech and press rights. The Court also granted NCLA’s request for expedited discovery and rejected the government’s requ…

A House Financial Services Committee recently held a hearing titled 'SEC Enforcement: Balancing Deterrence with Due Process.' The hearing focused on a number of issues that NCLA has been litigating, such as denial of due process rights through in-house adjudications, lack of jury trial rights, abusive processes in SEC investigations, use of disgorg…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the dismissal of Corner Post’s lawsuit challenging a Federal Reserve regulation, ruling that the six-year statute of limitations to challenge the rule had already expired. However, Corner Post did not exist until more than six years after the rule issued, and it filed suit less than four years…

The House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government convened a hearing pertinent to two of NCLA's cases challenging the government's unconstitutional infringement on freedom of speech—Murthy v. Missouri and Changizi v. HHS. The hearing scrutinized the Biden White House's censorship policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic…

In their latest episode, Vec, Mark, and Jenin delve into the contentious firing of Martin Dickman, the inspector general of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), by the Biden Administration. Questions surrounding allegations of creating a "hostile work environment" have drawn scrutiny, prompting Senator Chuck Grassley to address the lack of cla…

When a federal judge accedes to an agency's interpretation of the law, it essentially deprives the non-governmental party involved in the litigation of due process. Moreover, such deference undermines the judge's Article III mandate to uphold judicial independence. The notion of Chevron deference becomes particularly untenable when considering thes…

NCLA has filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, challenging the U.S. Department of Labor’s vague new independent contractor rule. Promulgated earlier this year, the rule distorts the standard for determining if someone hired by a company can be classified as an independent contractor, instead of an employee sub…

NCLA has filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Texas to stop one of the most egregious violations of free speech and free press rights in history. The U.S. State Department has funded the development, testing, and marketing of censorship technology used to suppress First Amendment-prote…

Vec recently attended the SCOTUS argument in the case of Trump v. United States. This pivotal case aims to define the scope of immunity for former presidents regarding potential criminal prosecution for actions allegedly tied to their official duties while in office. In this episode, Mark and Vec discuss the highlights of the oral argument and case…

NCLA has filed an amicus curiae brief in Cigar Association of America v. FDA, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reject the “remand without vacatur” legal doctrine. This dubious practice allows administrative agencies to continue enforcing rules the court has just declared unlawful. The doctrine creates a legal…

NCLA filed an amicus curiae brief in U.S. v. Pheasant, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to affirm a decision barring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from wielding legislative power to criminalize activity on public lands. Gregory Pheasant was charged with three violations of BLM rules for allegedly failing to use a taillig…

NCLA is proud to announce the Fourth Annual King George III Prize—a campaign to call attention to the most egregious violations of our basic civil liberties by people and institutions responsible for those abuses. In this episode, NCLA's Clegg Ivey joins Mark to discuss the latest brackets in the contest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf…

The government is attempting to dismiss Honorable Judge Pauline Newman’s lawsuit in district court over unjust attempts from her colleagues to remove her from a constitutionally appointed lifetime position as a Federal Circuit Judge. Vec and Jenin are joined by NCLA's Greg Dolin who provides updates on Judge Newman's case. See omnystudio.com/listen…

In NCLA's SEC v. Spartan Securities Group, the SEC brought 14 counts against Appellants, alleging their participation in two schemes to aid and abet the creation of fake publicly traded companies and subsequent issuance of stock between December 2009 and August 2014. After a 12-day trial in July 2021, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Appella…

NCLA has long been challenging the Biden Administration's unlawful student loan forgiveness scam as it undermines Congress and costs Americans billions in taxes. In this episode, Vec and Jenin are joined by NCLA's Sheng Li to discuss the recent updates in the President's plan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The EEOC's Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires a covered employer to provide a “reasonable accommodation” to a qualified employee’s or applicant’s known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an “undue hardship.” The PWFA…

Members of the NCLA team atteneded in The Federalist Society's Twelfth Annual Executive Branch Review Conference (EBRXII) this week. The conference showcased a diverse array of speakers and addressed an extensive range of topics, spanning from overarching government policies to nuanced discussions on environmental law, border security, the relevanc…

NCLA launched a Complaint against the SEC challenging the agency’s unconstitutional “Consolidated Audit Trail.” The CAT is the largest government-mandated mass collection of personal financial data in American history. Without any statutory authority, SEC is forcing brokers, exchanges, clearing agencies and alternative trading systems to capture an…

NCLA continues to fight on behalf of Honorable Judge Pauline Newman as she faces unjust attempts from her colleagues to remove her from a constitutionally appointed lifetime position as a Federal Cir. Judge. This case isn’t just about restoring her to the bench—it is about the very independence of the federal judiciary and the ability of each feder…

In Høeg v. Newsom, NCLA represents several California physicians whose First Amendment rights were violated by Assembly Bill (AB) 2098—a law that subjected physicians to discipline for giving patients advice about Covid-related matters that didn’t comport with the “scientific consensus.” Many bad government actors have avoided facing legal conseque…

The New Civil Liberties Alliance has filed a petition with the Ninth Circuit to review the SEC’s denial of our long-standing petition to amend the agency’s “Gag Rule.” In place for over five decades, this pernicious rule forbids every American who settles a regulatory enforcement case with SEC from even truthfully criticizing their cases in public.…

NCLA is proud to announce the Fourth Annual King George III Prize—a campaign to call attention to the most egregious violations of our basic civil liberties by people and institutions responsible for those abuses. In this episode, NCLA's Clegg Ivey joins Mark to discuss the latest brackets in the contest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf…

In Reid v. James Madison University, NCLA represents Alyssa Reid, a former forensics coach at James Madison University whose case provides yet another example of how Title IX has been hijacked and weaponized to exact revenge for a bad breakup. NCLA’s complaint argues that the actions of James Madison University, assisted by the Dept. of Education, …

NCLA filed a Complaint urging the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to declare that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is a private entity unlawfully exerting government power. The unconstitutionally structured Board exercises sweeping legislative, executive, and pseudo-judicial power bestowed by the Sarbanes-Oxley A…

The Biden Administration’s illegal plan to unilaterally cancel student loan debt is getting pushback in the courts from NCLA. NCLA represents the Cato Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peaceful international relations. The complaint argues the Biden Administration’s arbitrary…