Capture lane

Judicial Capture

The Judicial Capture capture lane traces 667 verified events documenting this mechanism of institutional capture.

667 events From Jul 12, 1787 To Apr 20, 2026 Open in filter view →
Top 10 actors in this lane 10 actors · 1787–2026
Top actors in Judicial Capture179017951800180518101815182018251830183518401845185018551860186518701875188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025WatergateReaganIran-Contra9/11Citizens UnitedTrump 1.0Trump 2.0U.S. Supreme Court150 eventsSupreme Court of the United StatesClarence ThomasDonald Trump1373 eventsLeonard LeoFederalist SocietyChief Justice John RobertsDepartment of Justice321 eventsJustice Clarence ThomasJustice Samuel Alito
Capture lanecorruptiondemocraticexecutivefinancialintelligencejudiciallaborlegislativemediamilitaryotherregulatory Status confirmed alleged disputed
DateEventLanesStatus
2022-06-24Dobbs v. Jackson: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade — The 49-Year Institutional Capture Project Succeeds 2 src
Samuel Alito · Leonard Leo · Federalist Society · Neil Gorsuch · +2
confirmed
2022-01-13Judge Dismisses All Flint Criminal Charges on Technicality—Zero Accountability After Poisoning Thousands 4 src
Elizabeth Kelly · F. Kay Behm · Rick Snyder · Michigan Supreme Court
confirmed
2022-01-13Supreme Court Blocks Biden OSHA Vaccine Mandate as Executive Overreach 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Joe Biden · Occupational Safety and Health Administration · U.S. Department of Labor
confirmed
2022-01-03Virginia Giuffre Lawsuit Against Prince Andrew Proceeds Despite Sealed Settlement Documents 3 src
Virginia Giuffre · Prince Andrew · Lewis Kaplan · Jeffrey Epstein
confirmed
2021-08-26Supreme Court Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium as Unauthorized Executive Action 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Joe Biden · Alabama Association of Realtors
confirmed
2021-01-25Supreme Court Dismisses All Trump Emoluments Cases as Moot 3 src
US Supreme Court · Donald Trump · CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) · District of Columbia · +2
confirmed
2021-01-20Trump Environmental Rollbacks Cause 80,000 Excess Deaths Per Decade 3 src
Donald Trump · Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · Scott Pruitt · Andrew Wheeler · +2
confirmed
2021-01-07Boeing Pays $2.5 Billion in Deferred Prosecution Deal, Zero Executives Charged for 346 Deaths 4 src
Department of Justice · Boeing · 346 crash victims · Victims' families · +1
confirmed
2021-01-06Ginni Thomas Attends "Stop the Steal" Rally Before Capitol Attack, CNP Board Member at Insurrection 4 src
Ginni Thomas · Clarence Thomas · Council for National Policy · CNP Action · +5
confirmed
2021-01-01Barre Seid Donates $1.6 Billion to Leonard Leo Dark Money Network 4 src
Barre Seid · Leonard Leo · Marble Freedom Trust
confirmed
2020-12-23DOJ Secret Court Order Targets Washington Post Journalists Days Before Barr's Resignation 3 src
William Barr · Michael R. Sherwin · U.S. Department of Justice · Federal Courts · +4
confirmed
2020-09-26Rose Garden Amy Coney Barrett Ceremony Becomes White House COVID Superspreader Event 3 src
Donald Trump · Amy Coney Barrett · Melania Trump · Mike Lee · +6
confirmed
2020-09-18Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies 46 Days Before Election, McConnell Immediately Vows to Confirm Replacement Despite 2016 Standard 4 src
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Mitch McConnell · Donald Trump · Clara Spera · +1
confirmed
2020-09-01CNP September 2020 Membership Directory Leaked - Current Network Exposed 2 src
Council for National Policy · Documented
confirmed
2020-08-21DeJoy Senate Testimony Denies Sabotage as Gary Peters Details Severe Mail Delays 4 src
Louis DeJoy · Gary Peters · Ron Johnson · USPS
confirmed
2020-08-01DeJoy Removes 711 Mail Sorting Machines During Mail-In Voting Surge 3 src
Louis DeJoy · USPS · Donald Trump · Federal Courts
confirmed
2020-07-01During Title 42, unaccompanied children were held in hotels by contractors (e.g., Hampton Inn) before expulsion attempts 6 src
Texas Civil Rights Project · MVM Inc. · ICE contractors · Detained families
confirmed
2020-06-30Espinoza v. Montana - Supreme Court Strikes Down State Bans on Religious School Funding 3 src
Chief Justice John Roberts · Justice Clarence Thomas · Justice Samuel Alito · Institute for Justice · +1
confirmed
2020-06-15Louis DeJoy Begins Serving as Postmaster General Despite Conflicts of Interest 4 src
Louis DeJoy · Donald Trump · USPS Board of Governors
confirmed
2020-03-13COVID-19 Emergency Triggers Student Loan Payment Pause - 44 Million Borrowers Get Relief 3 src
Donald Trump · Joe Biden · U.S. Department of Education
confirmed
2020-02-11Bill Barr Intervenes to Reduce Sentences for Trump Allies Stone and Flynn 3 src
Bill Barr · Roger Stone · Michael Flynn · Donald Trump · +1
confirmed
2019-12-13Conservative Lawsuit Forces Wisconsin to Purge 200,000 Voters Before 2020 Election 4 src
Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty · Wisconsin Elections Commission
confirmed
2019-12-10New York Loses ExxonMobil Climate Fraud Lawsuit in Major Accountability Failure 4 src
Barry Ostrager · Letitia James · ExxonMobil · New York Supreme Court · +1
confirmed
2019-11-07Judge Orders Trump to Pay $2 Million for Misusing Trump Foundation Charity Funds 4 src
Saliann Scarpulla · Donald Trump · Letitia James · Trump Foundation
confirmed
2019-10-24Federal Judge Holds DeVos in Contempt for Illegally Collecting on Corinthian Loans - $100K Fine 3 src
Betsy DeVos · Sallie Kim · U.S. Department of Education
confirmed
2019-10-07Sutter Health Settles Antitrust Case for $575 Million, Admits to All-or-Nothing Contracting and Price Concealment 3 src
Sutter Health · Xavier Becerra · California Attorney General
confirmed
2019-10-01Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Big Four Meatpackers Conspired to Fix Beef Prices and Manipulate Markets 3 src
Tyson Foods · JBS · Cargill · National Beef · +1
confirmed
2019-09-17Edward Snowden Publishes Memoir "Permanent Record"; DOJ Immediately Sues for Proceeds 3 src
Edward Snowden · Department of Justice · American Civil Liberties Union
confirmed
2019-09-15Purdue Pharma Files Bankruptcy to Shield Sackler Family from Civil Lawsuits 3 src
Purdue Pharma · Sackler Family · Richard Sackler · David Sackler · +3
confirmed
2019-09-12France Orders Google to Pay €1B for Tax Fraud, Settles for €945M 4 src
Google · French tax authority · French government · Bruno Le Maire (Finance Minister) · +1
confirmed
2019-08-26Oklahoma Wins $572 Million Verdict Against Johnson & Johnson for Opioid Public Nuisance 3 src
Thad Balkman · Johnson & Johnson · State of Oklahoma
confirmed
2019-08-10Epstein found dead in cell at 6:30 AM - cameras malfunctioned, guards slept, ruled suicide 4 src
Jeffrey Epstein · MCC prison staff · FBI investigators · Medical examiner · +1
confirmed
2019-07-01Clarence Thomas Takes 8-Day Indonesia Yacht Trip with Harlan Crow 4 src
Clarence Thomas · Virginia Thomas · Harlan Crow
confirmed
2019-06-28James Alex Fields Sentenced to Life Plus 419 Years for Charlottesville Murder 4 src
James Alex Fields Jr. · Heather Heyer · Susan Bro
confirmed
2019-06-27Supreme Court Rules Partisan Gerrymandering Beyond Federal Court Jurisdiction 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · John Roberts · Robert Rucho · Common Cause
confirmed
2019-06-21E. Jean Carroll Publicly Accuses Trump of Sexual Assault in New York Magazine 4 src
E. Jean Carroll · Donald Trump
confirmed
2019-06-04Claims from Michael Wolff ('Siege') and later commentary; no public evidence of 'Trump money laundering' via Epstein 4 src
Jeffrey Epstein · Michael Wolff · Donald Trump
disputed
2019-05-21FTC v. Qualcomm: Judge Lucy Koh Finds Antitrust Violations in Standard Essential Patent Licensing, Later Reversed on Appeal 4 src
Federal Trade Commission · Lucy Koh · Qualcomm · Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals · +2
confirmed
2019-05-21McGahn Defies Scheduled Congressional Testimony Despite House Subpoena 3 src
Donald McGahn · House Judiciary Committee · Jerry Nadler · William Burck · +2
confirmed
2019-04-09Trump Claims Absolute Immunity from Congressional Oversight 3 src
Donald Trump · Pat Cipollone · Don McGahn · John Bolton · +2
confirmed
2019-03-07Paul Manafort Sentenced to Combined 7.5 Years in Federal Prison, Longest Mueller Investigation Sentence 3 src
Paul Manafort · Donald Trump · Judge T.S. Ellis III · Judge Amy Berman Jackson · +1
confirmed
2019-02-21Federal Judge Rules Epstein Plea Deal Violated Crime Victims' Rights Act 3 src
Kenneth Marra · Bradley Edwards · Paul Cassell · Alexander Acosta · +1
confirmed
2019-01-17HHS Inspector General Reveals Thousands More Children Separated Than Disclosed 4 src
HHS Office of Inspector General · Donald Trump · Kirstjen Nielsen · Jeff Sessions · +2
confirmed
2019-01-01Ginni Thomas Joins CNP Action Board - Supreme Court Spouse in Conservative Coordination Hub 2 src
Ginni Thomas · Clarence Thomas · Council for National Policy · CNP Action
confirmed
2018-12-18New York Judge Orders Trump Foundation Dissolved, Assets Distributed to Charities 3 src
Saliann Scarpulla · Donald Trump · Trump Foundation · Barbara Underwood
confirmed
2018-12-18Trump Foundation Admits to Misusing Charity Funds, Agrees to Dissolve Under Court Supervision 3 src
Donald Trump · Trump Foundation · Barbara Underwood · New York Attorney General
confirmed
2018-11-06Michigan Voters Approve Independent Redistricting Commission, Ending Partisan Gerrymandering 4 src
Voters Not Politicians · Michigan voters
confirmed
2018-10-16AbbVie Humira Patent Thicket Delays US Biosimilars Until 2023 Despite 2016 Patent Expiration and European Competition 4 src
AbbVie · Amgen · Samsung Bioepis · Mylan · +4
confirmed
2018-10-06Senate Confirms Kavanaugh 50-48 Despite Sexual Assault Allegations and Severely Limited FBI Investigation 4 src
Brett Kavanaugh · Susan Collins · Joe Manchin · Lisa Murkowski · +2
confirmed
2018-09-27Christine Blasey Ford Delivers Credible, Emotional Testimony Alleging Kavanaugh Sexual Assault, He Responds with Partisan Rant 4 src
Christine Blasey Ford · Brett Kavanaugh · Lindsey Graham · Chuck Grassley · +1
confirmed
2018-06-27Janus v. AFSCME - Supreme Court Strikes Down Public Sector Union Fees, Targeting Teachers' Unions 6 src
Justice Samuel Alito · Justice Neil Gorsuch · National Right to Work Foundation · State Policy Network · +4
confirmed
2018-06-20Trump Signs Executive Order "Ending" Family Separation After International Outcry 4 src
Donald Trump · Kirstjen Nielsen · Jeff Sessions · Stephen Miller
confirmed
2018-06-11Supreme Court Upholds Ohio's Aggressive "Use It Or Lose It" Voter Purge System 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Samuel Alito · Sonia Sotomayor · Jon Husted
confirmed
2018-06-01Trump Family Separation Policy Detains 5,500 Children in Cages 3 src
Donald Trump · Stephen Miller · Jeff Sessions · DHS (Department of Homeland Security) · +3
confirmed
2018-05-31European Court Finds Romania and Lithuania Hosted CIA Torture Sites, Orders Damages 4 src
European Court of Human Rights · Romania · Lithuania · Central Intelligence Agency · +2
confirmed
2018-05-21Epic Systems v. Lewis: Supreme Court Allows Mandatory Arbitration Blocking Class Action Labor Claims 3 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Neil Gorsuch · Federalist Society · Corporate employers · +1
confirmed
2018-05-16Michigan State University Agrees to $500 Million Settlement with 332 Nassar Survivors—Largest University Sexual Abuse Settlement in History 4 src
Michigan State University · Lou Anna Simon · John Engler · Larry Nassar · +2
confirmed
2018-05-10Kirstjen Nielsen Defends Family Separation as Deterrent, Later Denies Policy Exists 4 src
Kirstjen Nielsen · Jeff Sessions · Stephen Miller · Donald Trump · +1
confirmed
2018-05-08Armenian Velvet Revolution Succeeds: Anti-Corruption Movement Achieves Peaceful Transition 3 src
Nikol Pashinyan · Serzh Sargsyan · Armenian Civil Society · Civil Contract Party · +2
confirmed
2018-04-10Judge Finalizes Trump University Settlement After Appeal Resolved, Victims Receive Payments 3 src
Gonzalo Curiel · Donald Trump
confirmed
2018-04-06Jeff Sessions Announces "Zero Tolerance" Policy Designed to Separate Families 4 src
Jeff Sessions · Donald Trump · Stephen Miller · DHS (Department of Homeland Security) · +1
confirmed
2018-03-13Trump Nominates Gina Haspel as CIA Director Despite Role in Torture Program and Evidence Destruction 4 src
Gina Haspel · Donald Trump · Mike Pompeo · Central Intelligence Agency · +1
confirmed
2018-02-26Texas Leads 20 Republican States in Lawsuit Seeking to Eliminate Entire ACA 6 src
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton · Judge Reed O'Connor · 20 Republican State Attorneys General · California Attorney General Xavier Becerra · +2
confirmed
2018-01-24Larry Nassar Sentenced to 40-175 Years After 156 Victim Impact Statements; Rachael Denhollander's Powerful Testimony 5 src
Larry Nassar · Rosemarie Aquilina · Rachael Denhollander · Aly Raisman · +5
confirmed
2018-01-22Pennsylvania Supreme Court Strikes Down Congressional Map as Unconstitutional Partisan Gerrymander 4 src
Pennsylvania Supreme Court · League of Women Voters · Pennsylvania General Assembly
confirmed
2018-01-01Clarence Thomas Attends Koch Network Donor Summit - Supreme Court Ethics Violations 2 src
Clarence Thomas · Koch Network · Council for National Policy
confirmed
2017-12-21DeVos Replaces Full Debt Relief With Earnings-Based Formula - Corinthian Victims Get Pennies on Dollar 3 src
Betsy DeVos · U.S. Department of Education
confirmed
2017-08-15Trump Defends White Nationalists with "Very Fine People On Both Sides" Remarks 3 src
Donald Trump · Heather Heyer · James Alex Fields Jr.
confirmed
2017-08-12White Supremacist Rally in Charlottesville Ends with Heather Heyer Murdered by Neo-Nazi 3 src
James Alex Fields Jr. · Heather Heyer · Donald Trump
confirmed
2017-06-01Project Blitz Launches Christian Nationalist Legislative Playbook: Model Bills for All 50 States 2 src
Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation · David Barton · WallBuilders · Lea Carawan
confirmed
2017-05-22TC Heartland v. Kraft: Supreme Court Limits Patent Forum Shopping, Curbing Eastern District of Texas Troll Haven 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Clarence Thomas · TC Heartland · Kraft Foods · +2
confirmed
2017-04-16Neil Gorsuch Sells Property to Law Firm CEO Days After Supreme Court Confirmation 4 src
Neil Gorsuch · Brian Duffy · Greenberg Traurig
confirmed
2017-04-07McConnell Invokes Nuclear Option, Eliminates Filibuster for Supreme Court Nominees, Gorsuch Confirmed 54-45 4 src
Mitch McConnell · Neil Gorsuch · Chuck Schumer · Harry Reid · +1
confirmed
2017-03-31Judge Curiel Approves $25 Million Trump University Settlement, Victims to Receive 90% Refunds 3 src
Gonzalo Curiel · Donald Trump
confirmed
2017-03-06Trump Signs Travel Ban 2.0 (Executive Order 13780) - Revised Muslim Ban After Courts Block Original 2 src
Donald Trump · Derrick Watson · Doug Chin · Rudy Giuliani
confirmed
2017-01-31Federalist Society Captures Federal Judiciary with $250M Dark Money 3 src
Federalist Society · Leonard Leo · Donald Trump · Judicial Crisis Network · +1
confirmed
2017-01-27Stephen Miller's Muslim Ban Creates Chaos at Airports Nationwide, Detains Legal Residents 3 src
Stephen Miller · Donald Trump · Steve Bannon
confirmed
2017-01-27Trump Signs Muslim Ban (Executive Order 13769) Causing Airport Chaos and Mass Visa Revocations 3 src
Donald Trump · Rudy Giuliani · Jim Mattis · State Department
confirmed
2017-01-20Trump Organization Receives 3.6M from Foreign Governments 3 src
Donald Trump · Trump Organization · Saudi Arabia · China · +4
confirmed
2016-10-27Federal Jury Acquits Bundy Brothers and Five Others for Armed Occupation of Malheur Wildlife Refuge 8 src
Ammon Bundy · Ryan Bundy · Jeff Banta · Shawna Cox · +5
confirmed
2016-10-10Anheuser-Busch InBev Completes $107 Billion SABMiller Acquisition: Beer Industry Consolidates Into Duopoly 3 src
Anheuser-Busch InBev · SABMiller · Molson Coors · Department of Justice · +1
confirmed
2016-07-29North Carolina Voter ID Law Struck Down for Targeting African Americans 3 src
North Carolina General Assembly · Governor Pat McCrory · Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals · NAACP Legal Defense Fund · +1
confirmed
2016-06-02Trump Attacks Federal Judge Curiel as "Mexican" Despite Indiana Birth, Paul Ryan Calls It "Textbook Racism" 3 src
Donald Trump · Gonzalo Curiel · Paul Ryan
confirmed
2016-06-01Trump University Victims Testify to Losing Retirement Savings, Disability Income to Fraudulent Scheme 3 src
Donald Trump · Ronald Schnackenberg · George Hanus
confirmed
2016-05-31Judge Unseals Trump University Documents Revealing Predatory Sales Playbook Targeting Vulnerable Consumers 3 src
Gonzalo Curiel · Donald Trump · Ronald Schnackenberg
confirmed
2016-05-18Trump Promises All Supreme Court Picks Will Come From Federalist Society 3 src
Donald Trump · Leonard Leo · Don McGahn · Neil Gorsuch · +4
confirmed
2016-04-27Dennis Hastert Sentenced to 15 Months, Judge Calls Him 'Serial Child Molester' 3 src
Dennis Hastert · Thomas Durkin · Scott Cross
confirmed
2016-03-16Obama Nominates Merrick Garland to Supreme Court, McConnell and Senate Republicans Refuse to Hold Hearings or Vote 4 src
Barack Obama · Merrick Garland · Mitch McConnell · Chuck Grassley
confirmed
2016-03-01Trump Model Management Lawsuit Dismissed on Technicality Despite Evidence 4 src
Alexia Palmer · Trump Model Management · Donald Trump · Federal Courts · +1
confirmed
2016-02-13Justice Antonin Scalia Dies, McConnell Immediately Vows to Block Any Obama Nominee 4 src
Antonin Scalia · Mitch McConnell · Barack Obama
confirmed
2015-06-25Supreme Court Rejects King v. Burwell Challenge to ACA Subsidies in Federal Exchanges 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Chief Justice John Roberts · Justice Antonin Scalia · King (Plaintiff) · +1
confirmed
2015-02-26FCC Votes 3-2 for Strong Net Neutrality Protections Through Title II Reclassification After Record Public Engagement 3 src
Tom Wheeler · Federal Communications Commission · Ajit Pai · Michael O'Rielly · +3
confirmed
2015-01-01Eastern District of Texas Patent Troll Haven: Judge Rodney Gilstrap Handles 25% of All U.S. Patent Cases, Forum Shopping Peak 5 src
Rodney Gilstrap · Eastern District of Texas · John Roberts · Lex Machina
confirmed
2014-12-09Senate Report Documents CIA Torture Worse Than Disclosed - Rectal Feeding, Mock Executions, Deaths 4 src
Central Intelligence Agency · Gul Rahman · Senate Select Committee on Intelligence · James Mitchell · +1
confirmed
2014-10-20Harlan Crow Purchases Clarence Thomas's Mother's House in Undisclosed Deal 4 src
Clarence Thomas · Harlan Crow · Leola Williams (Thomas's mother) · Crow Holdings
confirmed
2014-10-01Model Files Federal Lawsuit Against Trump Model Management for Wage Theft 3 src
Alexia Palmer · Trump Model Management · Donald Trump
confirmed
2014-07-24European Court Rules Poland Violated Human Rights by Hosting CIA Torture Black Site 4 src
European Court of Human Rights · Poland · Central Intelligence Agency · Abu Zubaydah · +2
confirmed
2014-06-25Supreme Court Rules Warrantless Cell Phone Searches Unconstitutional in Riley v. California 3 src
U.S. Supreme Court · John Roberts
confirmed
2014-06-19Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank: Supreme Court Restricts Software Patents, Reducing Patent Troll Leverage Over Abstract Business Methods 4 src
U.S. Supreme Court · Clarence Thomas · Alice Corp · CLS Bank International · +1
confirmed
2014-06-16Supreme Court backs broad discovery in Argentina debt case (Alito joined majority); Singer's fund later benefited 4 src
Samuel Alito · Paul Singer · Elliott Management · Republic of Argentina · +1
confirmed