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kathleenclark.bsky.social
Kathleen Clark
@kathleenclark.bsky.social
6.1K followers 230 following 1.9K posts
Attorney - Professor - Views are my own, not my employer. she/her
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
nytpitchbot.bsky.social
If an attractive young woman a third my age didn't want to date me, then why did she ask me for feedback on an economics paper?

by Larry Summers
November 17, 2025 at 6:54 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Important reporting by @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social,
but its subheadline and this post mischaracterize what Lawrence Summers was seeking from his mentee.
It wasn’t a “romantic” relationship.
It was a sexual one.

“the probability of
‘my **getting horizontal**
w [racial slur]’”
= The Harvard Crimson As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His 'Wing Man' When former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers was pursuing a sexual [romantic] relationship with a woman ho described as a mentee, he turned to a longtime associate for guidance: convicted sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein. BY DHRUV T. PATEL AND CAM N. SRIVASTAVA 11 hours ago thecrimson.com = The Harvard Crimson The final tranche of messages, beginning in mid-June, shows the relationship still unresolved and Summers again turning to Epstein for guidance on how to pursue it. Summers asked Epstein whether it was "meaningful" to discuss the probability of "my getting horizontal w peril," drawing parallels to forecasting Trump's reelection. ADVERTISEMENT "U r better at understanding Chinese women than at probability theory," Summers told Epstein. The two men bantered about probability and mathematics, but repeatedly steered the conversation back to Summers' relationship.
November 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
econmarshall.bsky.social
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
wolfiesmom.bsky.social
This is me at 15. I’m a child.
I’m a CHILD.
November 15, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
zacheverson.com
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938

zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
A stamped letter saying "Die Wohungsnot Schuld Der Juden"
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
adamserwer.bsky.social
A reminder that if you are called to be part of a jury in a political prosecution you have a right to refuse to convict on the grounds the prosecution is unjust. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Trump’s Politicized Prosecutions May Hit a Roadblock
When the president puts his political enemies on trial on pretextual grounds, jurors have the option of refusing to convict.
www.theatlantic.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
jbf1755.bsky.social
He hates it when people abide by the Constitution.
kathleenclark.bsky.social Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 13d
Another one bites the dust.

Trump fired yet another inspector general (IG), the FHFA’s Acting IG, Joe Allen, after Allen apparently gave exculpatory information to the DoJ lawyers prosecuting NY AG Letitia James, as required by the constitution & basic fairness.

www.reuters.com/world/us/wat...
November 4, 2025 at 12:47 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
💯👇
bcfinucane.bsky.social Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 13d
Good day to think of the victims of the Bush administration’s Iraq War and the consequences of failing to hold people accountable for its torture program.
November 4, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
bcfinucane.bsky.social
Good day to think of the victims of the Bush administration’s Iraq War and the consequences of failing to hold people accountable for its torture program.
November 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Another one bites the dust.

Trump fired yet another inspector general (IG), the FHFA’s Acting IG, Joe Allen, after Allen apparently gave exculpatory information to the DoJ lawyers prosecuting NY AG Letitia James, as required by the constitution & basic fairness.

www.reuters.com/world/us/wat...
Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who was hand-picked for the job by Trump, subsequently indicted James after her predecessor declined to do so, citing a lack of evidence. Allen received notice of his termination from the White House after he made efforts to provide key information to prosecutors in that office, according to four sources. The information he turned over was constitutionally required, two of them said, while a third described it as being potentially relevant in discovery.
November 4, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
newseye.bsky.social
Insane. Inexcusable. Illegal.

And the new normal in Trump’s America.
Dayanne Figueroa was on her way to get coffee before heading to work when she encountered a chaotic scene in West Town: heavily armed, masked federal agents making arrests on a residential street. People yelled as vehicles honked their horn - a sign now used to alert neighbors that immigration federal agents are in the area - and witnesses said federal agents had arrested several landscaper workers presumed to be in the country without authorization. As Figuero tried to drive through the 1600 block of West Hubbard Street on Friday, Oct. 10, an unmarked vehicle driven by federal agents collided with Figueroa's as it tried to speed away from a hostile crowd, multiple videos reviewed by the Tribune show. Seconds after the crash, agents abruptly stopped their vehicle and exited with weapons in hand pointing at Figueroa, a U.S citizen. Agents then forcibly opened her door and pulled her out of the vehicle by her legs without identifying themselves, presenting a warrant or informing her that she was under arrest. As bystanders yelled, "You hit her! We have it on video!" agents ignored the crowd and forced Figueroa into a red minivan and drove away. Her car was left behind in the middle of the road, her coffee still in the cup holder, and her keys in plain view.
November 3, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
kathleenclark.bsky.social
The facts alleged in this civil complaint are damning.

Any ethics advisor would have told Tidmarsh to recuse from matters involving these companies because of his history with them and his financial ties to their owner.

Did he ignore their advice, or …

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Case 1:25-cv-03593 Document 1 Filed 11/02/25 Page 15 of 32 Dr. Tidmarsh assumes leadership of FDA's CDER and immediately sets out to harm Mr. Tang's business interests and extort and solicit a bribe from Mr. Tang 53. On July 21, 2025, Dr. Tidmarsh was appointed Director of FDA's CDER, which is responsible for reviewing, approving, and regulating most prescription and over-the-counter drugs marketed in the U.S., and, where necessary, removing or otherwise restricting the marketing of such drugs. 54. On July 31, 2025, Dr. Tidmarsh's personal lawyer, Joseph Galda, emailed Mr. Tang about Dr. Tidmarsh's services agreement with American Laboratories (referred to as ALI). After explaining that Dr. Tidmarsh was legally required to divest himself of any interest in American Laboratories, Mr. Galda's email stated: "[Dr. Tidmarsh's) services having been completed, he has assigned the right to receive payments (to] Virello Group, LLC, which is a limited liability company managed by me for the benefit of each of his three sons." Mr. Galda then asked that future payments under Dr. Tidmarsh's services agreement be sent to him. The following day, Dr. Tidmarsh emailed Mr. Tang to confirm the instructions in Mr. Galda's July 31, 2025 email. 15 Case 1:25-cv-03593 Document 1 Filed 11/02/25 Page 16 of 32 Outlook Re: Dr. Tidmarsh and ALI From George Tidmarsh Date Tri 8/1/2025-4.17 AM To Joseph P. Galda Kevin lang Thank you JP. I can confirm these instructions On Jul 31, 2025, at 21:19, Joseph P. Galda Mr. Tang: Sorry for the typo. I meant in care of Best, JPG| JOSEPH P. GALDA J.P. Galda & Co. 40 East Montgomery Avenue, LTW 220 Ardmore, PA 19003 M:+ wrote: From: Joseph P. Galda Date: Thursday, July 31RE2K0EIKRSA2M To: kevin Cc: George Fa lamarsh, M.D. Ph.D. Subject: Dr. Tidmarsh and ALI Mr. Tang: As I'm sure you know, Dr. Tidmarsh has begun his duties at the Food and Drug Administration which require his divestiture of all interests in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and in that connection his right to receive payment under the services agreement with a ALI. His services having been completed, he has assigned the right to receive payments Virello Group, LL.C, which is a limited liability company managed by me for the benefit of each of his three sons. Please direct payments to not care of J.P. Gaida & Co., 40 E. Montgomery Ave., LTW 220, Ardmore, PA 19003. Recognizing the need to assure you that this is his instruction, I am asking him to return confirmation to this email. Should have any question in this regard, please call me at Kind regards, JPG (See Exhibit 11.) 55. Given his new position, Dr. Tidmarsh should have been focused on advancing public health and wellbeing. Instead, he immediately set out abusing his position to harm 60. Dr. Tidmarsh was not content to stop there, though. Having pushed FDA to chcwwclstcr.ocw.wewtowt.chetw.chaho.whrcalchcotocwnoilntsohswnchic.t.@0xthk@ut Case 1:25-cv-03593 Document Filed 1102125 Page 180132 Dr. Tadmarsh immediately set out to protit personally from those actions by demanding payment from Mr. Tang 61. Days after FDA's announcement, Dr. Tidmarsh directed his personal lawyer, Mr Galda, to email Mr. Tang and request that American Laboratories (referred to as ALL) extend a pre-existing services agreement with Dr. Tidmarsh "for another 10 years" in light of the fact "that) ALl may have issues that roquire an extension of the services agrocment —a statement that only can be construed as reterencing MDA's recent announoement that it was taking action to ellectively) remove DTE from the market. Under Dr. Tidmarsh's proposal, American Laboratorics now would be required to make payments until the ycar 2044 into a Dr. Tidmarsh-associated entity. This August 28. 2025 cmail from Mr. Galda to Mr. Tang, titlod "Agroement with Dr. Tidmarsh," reads as lollows: Agreement with Dr. Tidmarshl Date Thu 8/28/2025 12.08 PM| Khwhtamo Kevin: Ihope this linds you well. It is my understanding that ALl may have issues that require an extension o the services agreement. Accordingly, we propose to extend the services agreement for another 10 years.. Please let me know il this is acceptable and & so. I will prepare the assocated paperwork 62. The imbort of Mir, Galda's uncolicitod and unprovoked email could not have bccni clearer: Dr. Tidmarsh wanted a navout in exchange for usine his authority as CDER Diroctor tol help mitigate the obvious harm to American Laboratorics, Tang Capital, and Mr. Tang from the Case 1:25-cv-03593 Document 1 Filed 11/02/25 Page 21 of 32 approved for marketing in the U.S. by FDA in 2021 and is now approved in 37 countries around the world, including, but not limited to, all of the countries in the Europcan Union, Great Britain, and Japan. Dr. Tidmarsh published false and damaging statements that he knew were false at the time he made them Despite knowing that voclosporin has demonstrated direct clinical benefit-and in total disregard of the patients suffering from lupus nephritis and benefiting from treatment with voclosporin on the morning of September 29, 2025, Dr. Tidmarsh published a post on his personal Linkedin page, falsely claiming that voclosporin "has not been shown to provide a direct clinical benefit for patients" and asserting that Aurinia had failed "to perform the trials necessary to confirm actual clinical benefit" from voclosporin: George F Tidmarsh [3 - 1st 2h • © CDER will be evaluating surrogate endpoints used for FDA approval. While there is no doubt that the use of such endpoints has benefited patients by bringing valuable treatments to patients sooner, there have been notable failures in confirmatory trials, such as those for exon skiptang therapies in UMD. Ark tor some crseases. such as lupus nephritis, companies have not run trials to progression to end stage renal disease. So we have approved drugs with significant toxicity like vocolosporin that has not been shown to provide a direct clinical use of surrogate endpoints to see where we can further companies to perform the trials necessary to confirm 71. (See Exhibit 14.) The post clearly referred to Plaintiffs, as Aurinia owns the only FDA-approved voclosporin product and Aurinia US is the sole marketer and distributor of voclosporin in the U.S.
November 3, 2025 at 6:58 AM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
The kind of ethical clusterf@&k was inevitable in the current, pervasively corrupt, administration.
When the President takes nearly a billion in crypto payoffs & orders criminal prosecutions as personal vendettas, his appointees will also wield government power for vengeance & personal gain.
FDA Official Steps Down, Sued by Drugmaker
George Tidmarsh, who resigned Sunday, is accused in a lawsuit of seeking a bribe and defaming a drug.
www.wsj.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
docrevan.bsky.social
Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper

www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
And in that pause between pitch and contact - longer than logic, shorter than hope - we remembered why baseball existed long before we judged a sport's value by viral moments and betting apps. It is the romance of failure. The mortal beauty of trying and missing seven times out of 10 and still being considered great. It is the only sport where patience is a weapon, and panic the surest death. You cannot simply run out the clock in baseball; you must face it, pitch by terrifying pitch, until it finally releases you.
November 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
mrjoncryer.bsky.social
So the World Series MVP is an… immigrant
November 2, 2025 at 4:38 AM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Another federal district judge who thinks appropriations law (i.e., Congress' control of the purse) is not a dead letter.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 17d
BREAKING: Federal judge rules that the Trump administration likely illegally suspended SNAP benefits, ruling that at least reduced distribution is required to go forward under law using the $6 billion reserve fund.

Judge gives the Trump admin until Monday to respond as to whether it will act.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ET AL., Plaintiffs, V. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ET AL., Defendants. * * * * * * * * * * * Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-13165-IT MEMORANDUM AND ORDER October 31, 2025 TALWANI, D.J. Pending before the court is Plaintiffs' Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order [Doc. No. 3] seeking to enjoin, on an emergency basis, Defendants' November 1, 2025 suspension of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP"). For the reasons stated below, Plaintiffs have standing to bring this action and are likely to succeed on their claim that Defendants' suspension of SNAP benefits is unlawful. Where that suspension of benefits rested on an erroneous construction of the relevant statutory provisions, the court will allow Defendants to consider whether they will authorize at least reduced SNAP benefits for November, and report back to the court no later than Monday, November 3, 2025. A. Likelihood of Success on the Merits Plaintiffs have demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their claim under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), (C), that Defendants' suspension of SNAP benefits is contrary to law. At core, Defendants' conclusion that USDA is statutorily prohibited from funding SNAP because Congress has not enacted new appropriations for the current fiscal year is erroneous. To the contrary, Defendants are statutorily mandated to use the previously appropriated SNAP contingency reserve when necessary and also have discretion to use other previously appropriated funds as detailed below. As both parties acknowledge, Congress has not yet appropriated any new funds for SNAP benefits for Fiscal Year 2026, which began on October 1, 2025. Pls.' Mem. 6 [Doc. No. 4]; Defs.' Opp'n 7 [Doc. No. 18]. But Congress took steps to protect against the deprivation of SNAP assistance. In the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Pub. L. No. 118-42, § 6, 138 Stat. 25, 93-94, Congress separately appropriated $6 billion to the SNAP program "to remain available through September 30, 2026" and "be placed in reserve for use only in such amounts and at such times as may become necessary to carry out program operations." See also Pub. L. No. 119-4, § 1101(a), 139 Stat. 9, 10 (2025). As Plaintiffs point out, given the mandatory nature of SNAP benefits under 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a) and the appropriation of these funds to be available 10 Case 1:25-cv-13165-IT Document 26 Filed 10/31/25 Page 11 of 15 through this current fiscal year, the government is obligated to use this contingent reserve account to fund SNAP "as may become necessary to carry out program operations." 138 Stat. at 93-94; Pls.' Mem. 11 [Doc. No. 4]. Defendants argue out that a "suspension" is permitted under USDA's regulations, and that USDA "has consistently interpreted its authority to allow for the suspension or cancellation of benefits when necessary." Defs. Opp'n 6 [Doc. No. 18). The regulation at issue, 7 C.F.R. $ 271.7(a), sets forth procedures to be followed if monthly SNAP allowances "must be reduced, suspended, or cancelled to comply with section 18 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008" (emphasis added). But that the regulation allows for a suspension when there are no funds does not mean that Defendants may choose a suspension over a reduction while funds do remain. If the regulation did authorize such discretion, it would be inconsistent with the statutory mandate that benefits "shall" be paid unless funding is no longer available.
October 31, 2025 at 6:27 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Well said, @donmoyn.bsky.social:

The GOP-led Congress is committing a form of institutional suicide.
donmoyn.bsky.social Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 19d
When I give public talks now, I explain we are living through a series of de facto constitutional amendments, where the executive asks for radically more power, the judiciary largely agrees, and the GOP-led Congress is committing a form of institutional suicide.
Very much this:
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
Spoke with Reuters about foreigners’ pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump businesses — not because of the Trump brothers’ business acumen, but to obtain the kind of impunity, freedom from legal constraints, that only the president can deliver.

www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"These people are not pouring money into coffers of the Trump family business because of the brothers' acumen. They are doing it because they want freedom from legal constraints and impunity that only the president can deliver." Kathleen Clark, law professor at Washington University
October 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
klia.bsky.social
💯
kathleenclark.bsky.social Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 24d
We've had Presidents who have violated the law and the constitution.
But we were saved by "congressional leaders who care about the Constitution and their responsibilities as a co-equal branch of government to hold the excesses of the executive to account, a la Sam Ervin and Howard Baker"
It matters a great deal whether you have congressional leaders who care about the Constitution and their responsibilities as a co-equal branch of government to hold the excesses of the executive to account, a la Sam Ervin and Howard Baker or even Mitt Romney, … or you have moral cowards like Mike Johnson and John Thune who care first and foremost about serving a party leader and his personality cult. It matters whether you have justices on the Supreme Court who believe in the court’s rule to uphold precedents and established law … or you have partisan hacks like Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts who see their role as deciding the politics first and then backing into the law, Calvinball style. As Justice Jackson dissented this year, “This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist. Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this administration always wins.” For generations, we have been saved from these fates and uncertainties because voters chose leaders of both parties with good character who, in turn, appointed people of good character, who, in turn, were constrained by a professional and nonpartisan civil service of good character that took seriously their oaths to serve the Constitution and not an individual.
October 24, 2025 at 6:37 PM
kathleenclark.bsky.social
"there’s only one check and balance that actually matters: Good character."
Not the good character of presidents,
but that of "the people elected to Congress and appointed to the Supreme Court,"
whether they "are willing to exercise their oversight and check-and-balance responsibilities."
vermontgmg.bsky.social Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 26d
The destruction of the East Wing is a reminder that America has violated the only check-and-balance that actually ends up mattering: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/the-only-c...
The only check-and-balance that actually matters
www.doomsdayscenario.co
October 24, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
gpgomez.bsky.social
Pictures I took of the East Wing in January
October 24, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
gpgomez.bsky.social
First families enjoying the movie theater in the East Wing
October 24, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
gpgomez.bsky.social
Obama running down a corridor of the East Wing with his dog
October 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
matthewstiegler.bsky.social
The good people of Philadelphia should let Philly-based Comcast know how they feel about this.
holgate.permanent.red Nick S @holgate.permanent.red · 26d
Quite the kicker:
“The ballroom project is being funded by private donors. Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBCUniversal, was included on a list of top donors to the project. It is currently unclear how much Comcast and other donors have contributed.”
October 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Clark
david.noll.org
It occurred to me that, with his demolition of the White House's East Wing, Trump has orchestrated attacks on the symbolic homes of two out of three branches of the federal government. Is One First Street next?
October 23, 2025 at 5:57 PM