So. We have reached the final day of a ~rather~ long year. As (it appears) we all are doing in journo world, I looked back to see what I did this year. Here are some highlights from my work.
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Later in January, I reported on how some of Mitt Romney's would-be presidential transition materials were appearing throughout the Trump transition:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-judge-orders-halt-to-deportations-under-trump-order?utm_term=.ckagdnJwq#.rrO6wJ3LA …
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From right in January, I also started two of four sets of stories that I was covering at points throughout the year:
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First, and the series I'm most proud of was the series of stories discussing parts of the Constitution we focused on this year. I covered the beginning — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/top-legal-ethics-scholars-to-file-first-major-lawsuit-agains?utm_term=.qaDd3YB8N#.cqrDLMGK4 … — and in December, dismissal of — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-court-dismisses-case-claiming-that-trumps-ongoing?utm_term=.blbQogjA5#.hlb6rQ5E8 … — the first Emoluments Clause lawsuit.
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In longform pieces, I wrote about: 1. Impeachment: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/no-impeachment-doesnt-work-that-way?utm_term=.jhxX1wMPY#.go12z5POo … 2. Pardons: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-president-actually-has-enormous-power-to-pardon?utm_term=.qqkOXV506#.qlK9EJkKg … 3. The 25th Amendment:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/how-the-25th-amendment-actually-works-and-what-nobodys-ever?utm_term=.mfN0G49Bo#.qqkOXV506 …
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I also started covering the ins and outs of what became three iterations of Trump's travel ban, working with
@ZoeTillman and others to cover it all, from that first weekend — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-judge-orders-halt-to-deportations-under-trump-order?utm_term=.ckagdnJwq#.rrO6wJ3LA … — to that strange LPR letter — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/administration-lawyers-are-trying-to-explain-what-trump-was?utm_term=.dlB8DMBwY#.vgPNKqnRb … ...Show this thread -
... to the second ban — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/trump-new-travel-order?utm_term=.fneJMn8Dl#.sqJpGLEQv … — to SCOTUS — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/supreme-court-allows-trump-to-enforce-his-travel-and?utm_term=.wmLRWNVD7#.dkBkD0l4v … — to grandparents — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-judge-limits-trump-administration-travel-ban?utm_term=.tsdAmKD04#.idBg34zKe … — to the third (and current) ban:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/supreme-court-allows-trumps-third-try-at-a-travel-ban-to-go?utm_term=.umG9MGmKk#.vpzWGK52w …
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We had the firing of Sally Yates — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/acting-attorney-general-orders-justice-department-not-to-def?utm_term=.nuK1QaJzR#.py0na32XQ … — and US Attorneys — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/sessions-ousts-nearly-half-of-the-us-attorneys-across-the-co?utm_term=.ht7QXZ9P0#.phy81DMLA … — and the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to SCOTUS — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-senate-has-confirmed-neil-gorsuch-to-the-supreme-court?utm_term=.jam8PJXLk#.mrZ4glvw2 … — albeit, with a question about an apparent copied passage in his book:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/a-short-section-in-neil-gorsuchs-2006-book-appears-to-be?utm_term=.ifBXKdWvG#.rpjyEDlgj …
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Then, the third series of stories: Arkansas' attempt in April to carry out 8 executions in two weeks: 1. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/arkansas-scheduled-eight-executions?utm_term=.to3DGK9WE#.xqV0pL4Yj … 2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/monday-arkansas-executions-story?utm_term=.bwk8lmGba#.nqaYV9KQJ … 3. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/thursday-arkansas-executions-story?utm_term=.xrzQr0JZe#.gcDMk86qK … 4. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/arkansas-two-scheduled-monday-executions?utm_term=.dr1LyA9wx#.kcvp3KyJL … 5.https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/arkansas-final-scheduled-execution?utm_term=.fkkzGeLYK#.maOMV9Npo …
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As the year moved on, a federal appeals court ruled that gay people are covered by Title VII — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-appeals-court-rules-in-favor-of-job-protections-for?utm_term=.uqAN03jM5#.mvXgBYq0V … — a federal judge ruled against Trump's sanctuary city EO: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/federal-judge-stops-administration-from-enforcing-part-of?utm_term=.ovP7wa10o#.ggvm2gB8b … — and the country dealt w fallout from Comey's firing:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-problem-at-the-center-of-the-fbi-director-hiring-process?utm_term=.fneJMn8Dl#.trvq2W9ZL …
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I spend some time with
@johnlegend, looking at how liberals were taking on criminal justice issues in the Trump era: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/as-trump-takes-over-washington-criminal-justice-liberals?utm_term=.gmdrWvLeV#.pxGL7kyEG …pic.twitter.com/VgCbVWMz9o
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We ended a
#SCOTUS term — with an interesting ruling on religion issues: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-ruling-in-a-church-playground-case-suggests-splits?utm_term=.rdM7d5wJM#.yppVwjRdJ … Meanwhile, in a move that I don't think gets the attention it deserves for creating where we are with DACA now, the Texas AG threatened to sue over it:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/texas-attorney-general-threatens-to-sue-trump-if-he-doesnt?utm_term=.ttExvBrEw#.gtRGVjrdz …Show this thread -
Then, came "Don Jr." week. Here are my series of stories (w/ others): 1. Rob Goldstone: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/this-music-publicist-says-he-set-up-the-donald-trump-jr?utm_term=.bmYZDEXjk#.yyJ07rbx2 … 2. The Emails: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/what-the-donald-trump-jr-emails-dont-say?utm_term=.io44wkgVD#.bmYZDEXjk … 3. The Agalarovs: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/the-russian-connection?utm_term=.neN7Q5dM2#.po0Kqa0dP … 4. Pivot Week: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/while-donald-trump-jr-was-emailing-last-year-republicans?utm_term=.kj94K0mGo#.guoz76oR5 … 5. Veselnitskaya:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-russian-lawyer-and-the-lobbyist-from-the-trump-jr?utm_term=.rxJ8XW2PR#.asyGdrX30 …
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From mid-July, my look at Angry Trump (and why — spoiler: Sessions' recusal decision): https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/trump-is-angry-at-everyone-but-hes-really-upset-his-pick?utm_term=.iaOj4pWRv#.cdpLObXrg …pic.twitter.com/YzXUufF5vC
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When the talk was hot and heavy about Sessions leaving or being fired,
@jsvine and I looked at who could take over under the Vacancies Reform Act (which became The Topic later in the year w/r/t CFPB!) —>https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/a-cast-of-thousands-of-possible-acting-ags?utm_term=.coQyNZl9g#.mgMJLRAy7 …Show this thread -
Then,
@neal_katyal asked the Supreme Court to take on the death penalty — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/a-top-lawyer-asks-the-supreme-court-to-hear-a-case-to-end?utm_term=.bbxXMj8GZ#.cg2Gz86aq … — in a petition that is still pending for review before the justices.Show this thread -
After his July tweets, Trump issued a policy attempting to halt the Obama-era moves for trans military service: https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/trump-issues-policy-directing-an-end-to-open-transgender?utm_term=.nbARY82ZE#.jxvlvA1Ox … Trump's effort has failed, under court orders, as of now:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/has-the-trump-administration-stopped-fighting-the-jan-1?utm_term=.qxY7GnPk3#.ft4xBy0Mz …
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In September, I broke news of an anti-leak training program launched by the Trump administrations — https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/trump-administration-launches-broad-new-anti-leak-program?utm_term=.ybOLPjOM0#.we3PEv6kz … — and got information about one of the trainings:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-health-and-human-services-department-made-employees?utm_term=.jqBvRG197#.iirMgDXa3 …
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Following up on
@pdmcleod and@LissandraVilla's amazing Capitol Hill sexual harassment reporting, I dug into the secretive office that handles those complaints: OOC. 1. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-secretive-office-in-charge-of-congressional-workplace?utm_term=.vd2Dd43xq#.bg5xMKvEA … 2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-secretive-office-of-compliance-doesnt-have-good-answers?utm_term=.hlb6rQ5E8#.kwrLnKg05 … 3.https://www.buzzfeed.com/paulmcleod/six-house-offices-have-paid-out-360000-to-settle-complaints?utm_term=.uexa9xVZ1#.dbx9dpe2K …Show this thread -
As we reached December,
@dominicholden and I covered the Supreme Court's big "wedding cake" case. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-supreme-court-wants-to-know-what-happens-if-this-baker?utm_term=.bpzJ5AGMY#.de60nmMPD …pic.twitter.com/4OPjll5Frr
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Finally, as we approached the holidays, I looked into the Trump campaign lawyer's weekend letter about transition team emails, scoring an exclusive interview with one of the key lawyers from GSA involved in the story:https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/the-trump-campaign-claims-a-federal-office-illegally-turned?utm_term=.orG4pE5Xo#.mbYqBL74Y …
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In sum: What a wild year. I never would have expected that I ever would be covering such a wide range of important, groundbreaking stories. I'm so grateful to
@BuzzFeedBen@shani_o &@katherinemiller for letting me do so—and to all of my amazing colleagues for making it possible.Show this thread -
Also: Although I don't technically report to her, I would be lost daily without
@KateNocera, who has taken over the#BuzzFeedDC bureau as it doubled in size and took on a whole new level of reporting in this extreme year. She and@katherinemiller are just incredible.Show this thread
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