On Topic with Renato Mariotti

By Renato Mariotti, Patti Vasquez

What's On Topic with Renato Mariotti about?

Join former federal prosecutor and CNN Legal Analyst Renato Mariotti as he breaks down the news in depth with WGN Radio host and comedian Patti Vasquez and a weekly guest.

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Grand Jury Convened: Will t...

05.29.2021

Renato and Patti discussed the recent news that the Manhattan District Attorney convened a special grand jury in its investigation of the Trump Organization. They were joined by former Chief Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Daniel Alonso. Learn more about your ...

On Topic with Renato Mariotti episodes:

05.29.2021 Grand Jury Convened: Will the Manhattan DA Charge Trump or His Company? (with Daniel Alonso) Renato and Patti discussed the recent news that the Manhattan District Attorney convened a special grand jury in its investigation of the Trump Organization. They were joined by former Chief Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Daniel Alonso. Learn more about your ...
05.18.2021 Greenberg Cooperates: What Does This Mean for Gaetz? (with Barb McQuade) Renato and Patti discussed the guilty plea and cooperation deal for Joel Greenberg, the close confidant of Matt Gaetz. They were joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Barb McQuade, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Learn more about ...
04.17.2021 Gaetz Probe: What Legal Liability Does Matt Gaetz Have? (with Asha Rangappa) Renato and Patti discuss the federal criminal investigation of Matt Gaetz. They are joined by former FBI agent and CNN Legal and National Security Analyst Asha Rangappa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03.18.2021 Voter Suppression: How Can We Fight Efforts to Reduce Voter Turnout (with Jonathan Diaz) Renato and Patti discussed recent Republican efforts to place restrictions on voting and make it more difficult to vote. They were joined by Jonathan Diaz, legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, who litigates voting right cases in federal courts ...
03.02.2021 Tax Probe in High Gear: Is Trump Finally Going to be Charged? (with Daniel Alonso) Renato and Patti discuss the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation of Trump’s taxes. They were joined by Daniel Alonso, who was previously the Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
02.23.2021 Post-Vaccine Epidemic: What do the next six months hold? (with Roby Bhattacharyya) Renato discussed whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic would be curtailed and controlled as vaccine distribution becomes more widespread. He was joined by infectious disease doctor Roby Bhattacharyya, who practices at Massachusetts General Hospital and teaches at Harvard Medical School. ...
02.12.2021 Second Impeachment Trial Unfolds: Will It Matter? (with Norm Eisen) Renato discussed developments in the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. He was joined by Norm Eisen, who was part of the trial team for the House managers in Trump's first impeachment trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
02.01.2021 GameStop Frenzy: Do the Traders or Companies Have Any Liability? (with Jerome Tomas) Renato and Patti discussed the legal implications of the massive trading interest in GameStop stock. They were joined by former SEC Attorney Jerome Tomas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
01.27.2021 Second Impeachment Trial: How Will It Unfold (with Daniel Goldman) Renato and Patti discuss the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump after the presentation of the article of impeachment to the U.S. Senate. They were joined by Daniel Goldman, who was lead counsel for House Democrats during the first impeachment ...
01.20.2021 Aftermath of the Attack: Can All the Insurrectionists be Brought to Justice? (with Ken White) Renato and Patti discuss the federal and state indictments and investigations arising from the assault on the U.S. Capitol. They were joined by former federal prosecutor Ken White, who writes and tweets under the pseudonym "Popehat." Learn more about your ...
01.11.2021 Attack on the Capitol: Can All the Perpetrators be Brought to Justice? (with Michael Zeldin) Renato and Patti discussed the pro-Trump terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol and the legal liability faced by the perpetrators and instigators of the attack. They were joined by Michael Zeldin, a former senior U.S. Department of Justice official and ...
01.05.2021 Trump on Tape: Did He Commit a Crime? (with Joyce Vance) Renato and Patti discuss Trump’s attempt to push the Georgia Secretary of State to change the election results in his favor. They were joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Joyce White Vance, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. ...
12.31.2020 Indicting Trump: How Should the Biden Administration Handle the Issue of Charging Trump? (with Asha Rangappa) Renato and Patti discussed how the Biden Administration should handle the issue of investigating and considering criminal charges against Donald Trump after he leaves office. They were joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa, a CNN Legal and National ...
12.08.2020 Pardon Scheme: Can Trump Pardon Himself, His Family, and His Associates? (with Rachel Barkow) Renato and Patti discuss recent reports that Trump is considering pardoning his family and his attorney Rudy Giuliani. They were joined by NYU Law Professor Rachel Barkow, who has written about Trump's use of the pardon power. Learn more about ...
11.23.2020 Combating Division and Disinformation: What Can We Do to Heal the Wounds Trump Created? (with John Mitnick) Renato and Patti discuss the division, strife, and distrust caused by Donald Trump and the disinformation spread by Trump and his allies, and how the nation can recover in the wake of Joe Biden's victory. They were joined by John ...
10.31.2020 Republicans Prepare to Challenge Results: Could This Be a Repeat of Bush v. Gore? (with Trevor Potter) Renato and Patti discussed Republican attempts to make voting more difficult and their plans to dispute the voting results. They were joined by former Federal Election Commission Chair Trevor Potter, who is the founder and president of the Campaign Legal ...
10.14.2020 Special Episode: Re-examining James Comey, Donald Trump, and the Clinton and Russia investigations as depicted in “The Comey Rule” (with Billy Ray, Shane Salerno, Frank Figliuzzi, Barb McQuade, Asha Renato discussed the hit Showtime series “The Comey Rule” with Writer/Director Billy Ray and Executive Producer Shane Salerno. They discussed the Clinton and Russia investigations with special guests Frank Figliuzzi (former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence), Barb McQuade (former U.S. ...
10.01.2020 Tax Avoidance: What Should We Make Of Trump's Tax Returns? (with Barb McQuade) Renato and Patti discussed the blockbuster New York Times report discussing Donald Trump's tax returns. They were joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Barb McQuade, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
09.19.2020 Investigating Trump: How is Trump Compromised, and What Can We Do About It? (with Peter Strzok) Renato and Patti discuss the counterintelligence investigation of Donald Trump, as well as the decisions in the Clinton email investigation that led to Trump's election in 2016. They were joined by former FBI agent Peter Strzok, who led both investigations. ...
09.15.2020 Whistleblower Retaliation: Will His Report Matter? (with Brad Moss) Renato and Patti discuss the recent whistleblower report alleging that the Trump White House pushed the Department of Homeland Security to downplay Russian election interference in intelligence reports. They were joined by attorney Brad Moss, who represents the whistleblower. Learn ...
09.04.2020 Illegal Orders: What Happens When Trump Orders His Administration to Break the Law? (with Miles Taylor) Renato and Patti discussed Trump's instructions to his aides to break the law, as well as his fitness to hold office, with Miles Taylor, former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump ...
08.28.2020 Post-Convention Horserace: How do we Beat Donald Trump? (with Paul Begala) Renato and Patti discussed the presidential race in the wake of the party conventions. They were joined by former Clinton chief strategist Paul Begala, the author of You’re Fired: The Perfect Guide to Beating Donald Trump. Learn more about your ...
08.14.2020 Defunding the Postal Service: Trump Admits Voter Suppression Scheme (with Congressman Mike Quigley) Renato and Patti discussed Donald Trump’s stunning admission that he was defunding the U.S. Postal Service to stop mail-in voting. They were joined by Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), chair of the appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for the U.S. Postal Service. ...
08.06.2020 Dissecting Donald: Trump’s Niece Helps Us Explain the Inexplicable (with Mary Trump) Renato and Patti discussed the bizarre behavior of Donald Trump. They were joined by his niece Mary Trump, author of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
07.31.2020 Redrawing the Lines: The Battle Over State Legislatures (with Jessica Post) Renato and Patti discussed how state legislative races will control which party redraws Congressional district maps, and which states are being targeted by Democrats this cycle. They were joined by Jessica Post, President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Learn ...
07.25.2020 Making a Difference: How Can We Get Involved This Election Season? (with Tori Taylor and "Tony the Democrat") Renato and Patti discuss how to get involved during this election season despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They were joined by Tori Taylor, Co-Executive Director of SwingLeft, and "Tony the Democrat," founder of #PostcardsToVoters. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
07.17.2020 Federal Executions: Is the Death Penalty Constitutional? (with Russ Feingold) Renato and Patti discuss the first federal executions in 17 years. They were joined by former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, the President of the American Constitution Society. On Topic Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
07.11.2020 No Absolute Immunity: Is Trump Above the Law? (with Joyce Vance) Renato and Patti discuss the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding Trump's tax returns and whether courts can hold Trump accountable. They were joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. Learn more ...
06.29.2020 Politicizing the Justice Department: What Can We Do About It? (with Jennifer Rodgers) Renato and Patti discuss the politicization of the Justice Department, including recent testimony by a federal prosecutor that he was directed to give Roger Stone favorable treatment. They were joined by CNN Legal Analyst Jennifer Rodgers, former federal prosecutor in ...
06.16.2020 Landmark LGBTQ Rights Decision: What Does It Mean? (with Suzanne Goldberg) Renato and Patti discuss the Supreme Court's recent landmark decision, which found that Title VII outlaws workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people. They were joined by Professor Suzanne Goldberg, the founding director of Columbia Law School’s trailblazing Sexuality and Gender Law ...
06.06.2020 Black Lives Matter: How Should the Criminal Justice System be Reformed? (with Maya Wiley) Renato and Patti discuss criminal justice and race in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. They were joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Maya Wiley, former board chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). Learn more about ...
06.03.2020 Soldiers in Cities: Can Trump Use Our Military Against Americans? (with Stephen Vladeck) Renato and Patti discuss whether Trump has legal authority to use the U.S. military domestically against citizens in response to violence and looting. They were joined by Stephen Vladeck, A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law at the University of Texas ...
05.23.2020 Unmasking Flynn: What Should We Make of the Republican Investigation of the Russia Probe? (with Asha Rangappa) Renato and Patti discussed recent GOP allegations about the unmasking of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and other allegations about the origins of the Russia investigation. They were joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa, who is also ...
05.15.2020 DOJ Tries to Drop Flynn Case: What Happens Next? (with Ken White) Renato and Patti discuss the recent DOJ motion to dismiss the charges against former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, as well as Trump’s allegations about the origin of the Flynn investigation. They are joined by former federal prosecutor Ken White, ...
05.02.2020 Trump’s Tax Returns: Will the Supreme Court Allow For Congressional Oversight? (with Kate Shaw) Renato and Patti discuss the Supreme Court’s consideration of cases regarding subpoenas for Trump’s tax returns. They are joined by law professor and ABC News Supreme Court Contributor Kate Shaw. Strict Scrutiny Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
04.23.2020 Voting During a Pandemic: How Can We Ensure Everyone Can Vote Without Endangering Their Health? (with Trevor Potter) Renato and Patti discussed the recent election in Wisconsin and how we can ensure that everyone can vote safely in November without putting their health at risk. They were joined by Trevor Potter, the former Chairman of the Federal Election ...
04.18.2020 Stay-At-Home Orders: Are they Constitutional, and Can Trump Override Them? (with Anthony Michael Kreis) Renato and Patti discussed the legality and constitutionality of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions that states have imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. They were joined by Anthony Michael Kreis, a professor at Chicago-Kent School of Law. On Topic Website On ...
04.08.2020 Managing the Pandemic: What Should the Federal Government Be Doing? (with Andy Slavitt) Renato discussed the Trump Administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He was joined by Andy Slavitt, former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who led the management of the ACA after its initial rollout. On Topic ...
03.24.2020 Senators Dump Their Stock: Was It Insider Trading? (with Michael Schachter) Renato discussed whether Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and other Senators engaged in insider trading when they sold stock after receiving confidential coronavirus briefings. He was joined by former federal prosecutor Michael Schachter, who prosecuted Martha Stewart and has handled many ...
03.16.2020 Coronavirus Pandemic: How Can We Stay Safe? (with Dr. David Waitley and a coronavirus patient) Renato discussed how we can stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. He was joined remotely by a patient who tested positive for the coronavirus as well as Dr. David Waitley, an infectious disease specialist. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
02.27.2020 Trump’s Attacks on the Judiciary: What Can Be Done? (with Joyce Vance) Renato discussed Trump’s recent attacks on Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg and Judge Jackson and his recent public statements about the Roger Stone case. He was joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern ...
02.19.2020 Roger Stone's Sentencing and Rod Blagojevich's Commutation: What Does This Mean for DOJ and the Rule of Law? (with Mike Quigley and Barb McQuade) Renato discussed the recent intervention by Barr and other senior DOJ officials in the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation as well as recent Trump's pardons and commutations, including the commutation of the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. He was ...
02.04.2020 Iowa Caucuses Snafu: How Does it Impact the Democratic Presidential Race? (with G. Elliott Morris and Kyle Kondik) Renato discussed the delayed results of the Iowa caucuses and the impact the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He was joined by G. Elliott Morris, data journalist for The Economist, and Kyle Kondik, Managing Editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball ...
01.27.2020 Trump on Trial: What Can We Expect Next? (with Joe Lockhart and Elliot Williams) Renato discusses the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. He is joined by former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart, who served as Press Secretary during the Clinton impeachment, and former Senate Judiciary Counsel and Deputy Assistant Attorney General ...
01.20.2020 Impeachment Trial: Will It Resolve Anything In Light of New Allegations? (with Barb McQuade and Frank Bowman) On Topic Website On Topic on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
01.10.2020 Iran Attack: Can the President Start a War without Congress? (with Stephen Vladeck and Ro Khanna) Renato discussed Trump's recent attack that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and Congressional efforts to ensure that Trump did not lead the nation into war with Iran. He was joined by Stephen Vladeck, A. Dalton Cross Professor in Law ...
01.03.2020 Looking Forward to 2020: What Legal Developments Will Come? (with Mimi Rocah) On Topic Website On Topic on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12.13.2019 Articles of Impeachment and OIG Report: What Does It Mean? (with Asha Rangappa) Renato and Patti discuss the articles of impeachment introduced in the House Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department OIG report on the Russia investigation. They’re joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa, a CNN Legal and National Security Analyst ...
11.27.2019 Impeachment in Historical Perspective: What Articles of Impeachment Should House Judiciary Include? (with Jill Wine-Banks) Renato discusses the recent court decision rejecting Trump’s “absolute immunity” argument and the new phase of the impeachment inquiry before the House Judiciary Committee. He is joined by Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks, a MSNBC Legal Analyst. Learn more about your ...
11.18.2019 First Week of Impeachment Hearings: What Mattered? (with Maya Wiley) Renato discussed the first week of public impeachment hearings. He was joined by MSNBC Legal Analyst Maya Wiley, the former chief legal advisor to the Mayor of New York City. On Topic Website On Topic on Patreon Learn more about ...

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