This case proves that today’s pettifoggers believe they are above the law. The letter of defiance written to Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, came from the desks of over 150 former state and federal judges. It began:
We are former state and federal judges who join together to condemn the Trump Administration's attacks on the judiciary, including its recent arrest of Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan in her courthouse. This latest action is yet another attempt to intimidate and threaten the judiciary after a series of rulings by judges appointed by presidents of both parties holding the Trump Administration accountable for its countless violations of the Constitution and laws of the United States.
The undated letter focused on the federal case against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested by the FBI on April 25, 2025, and indicted by a federal grand jury on May 13 on charges of obstruction of justice and concealing a person from arrest. Dugan serves Milwaukee, one of the most liberal enclaves in the nation. The city has implemented policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in specific contexts. For instance, the Milwaukee Police Department generally refrains from inquiring about individuals' immigration status unless they are involved in serious criminal offenses. In 2017, the Milwaukee Public School Board unanimously passed a resolution declaring all district schools as "safe havens" for immigrant families, ensuring that student information is protected from immigration authorities unless legally required.
However, Judge Dugan's actions, as charged, would violate even the city's most expansive and generous reading of sanctuary protections for illegal immigrants. As federal agents waited outside her courtroom for her to finish proceedings regarding the pretrial hearing of Mexican illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz in a domestic abuse case, Dugan did something extraordinary. She helped Flores-Ruiz effectively evade arrest by allowing him to escape into the courthouse complex outside through a side door. This was after she learned that ICE agents and agents from numerous federal agencies were present to arrest him. Previously, the agents had informed the courthouse security officers and Judge Dugan's Deputy that Flores-Ruiz’s arrest was imminent. A DEA agent spotted him walking on the sidewalk after escaping the courthouse, gave chase, and arrested him on the street, with the help of other agents.
Judge Dugan's legal team denies the allegations, asserting that her actions were lawful and that she looks forward to vindication in court. We can't wait to see what possible justification Judge Dugan will present during her trial, but that's for another day.
What is worrisome is that 150 former state and federal judges who were in charge of the American judicial system for the past 2-3 decades did not find anything wrong with Judge Dugan's conduct. Don't these former judges know that Harboring an Undocumented Immigrant (8 U.S. Code § 1324) carries a penalty of up to 5 years per offense? If harboring interferes with a legal process or investigation, the penalty can range from 5 to 20 years, depending on the act and its impact (Obstruction of Justice (18 U.S. Code § 1505 or § 1512)).
What is even more disturbing is that these judges never complained when conservatives were indicted or arrested under dubious charges.
Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were both charged with defying a subpoena from the January 6th Committee and imprisoned. Both cases represent selective enforcement, as other political figures have defied Congressional subpoenas without facing criminal prosecution.
Jeffrey Clark, a former DOJ official under Trump, and Mark Meadows, Trump's former Chief of Staff, were named as co-defendants in Georgia's 2023 election interference case (by Fulton County DA Fani Willis) and scrutinized in the DOJ's broader January 6 probe. In December 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that DA Fani Willis and her office must be disqualified from prosecuting the case against former President Donald Trump and 14 co-defendants. The case remains in a state of uncertainty, pending the outcome of the appeal and the potential appointment of a new prosecutor.
Michael Flynn, Trump's first National Security Advisor, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador. The DOJ under Trump later moved to drop the case, but Judge Emmet Sullivan (an Obama appointee) resisted and continued the case. Trump ultimately pardoned Flynn.
Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally and political consultant, was convicted in 2019 (under Special Counsel Bob Mueller's investigation) of obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress. Trump commuted his sentence and later fully pardoned him.
The letter by the former judges in support of Judge Dugan says: "This cynical effort undermines the rule of law and destroys the trust the American people have in the nation's judges to administer justice in the courtrooms and in the halls of justice across the land."
Really? Where was your righteous indignation when the Biden administration dragged these individuals, and some even served time in prison? Why didn't you unequivocally reject the Biden and Obama administrations' assault on the judiciary, the Rule of Law, and those who administered it?
Please spare us your crocodile tears.
TIPP Picks
Selected articles from tippinsights.com and more
1. America’s Hard Power Must Get Harder—Todd G. Buchholz & Michael Mindlin, Project Syndicate
2. Victor Davis Hanson Breaks Down Why He Thinks ‘Real Economic Boom’ ‘Nobody’s Talking About’ Could Be Coming—Hailey Gomez, DCNF
3. Trump Bypasses Washington Globalists, Takes On China’s Economic Threat—Seton Motley, The Daily Signal
4. Trump Doth Bid The Mills To Rise Again, Yet Where Are The Skilled Workers?—Editorial Board, TIPP Insights
5. RFK Jr. Seeks To Free Doctors From Useless Barriers—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
6. Trump Gives Iran Deadline To Accept Terms For A Better Future—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
7. Thank A Cop This Police Week—Cully Stimson, The Daily Signal
8. When Tomatoes Became Veggies: 19th-Century SCOTUS Tariff Ruling Hints At The Questions The Court May Soon Face—Hans von Spakovsky, The Daily Signal
9. Union ‘Payoffs Will Continue’ Until The Department Of Education Is Closed, Betsy DeVos Says—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
10. Trump Administration Is Exposing The Hubris Of Institutional DEI—Jarrett Stepman, The Daily Signal
11. Majority Of American Catholics Disappoint Rest Of Us As New Poll Reveals Damning Results—Mary Rooke, DCNF
12. Dave Smith Tells Tucker Carlson That Kamala Turning Down Joe Rogan Was Actually ‘The Right Move’ For Her Campaign—Hailey Gomez, DCNF
13. House Panel’s Medicaid Reform Proposals Set Off Predictably Fierce Debate—George Caldwell, The Daily Signal
14. House Panel Plans To Raise SALT Deduction Cap For Members In Blue States—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal
15. An Rx For What Ails The Centers For Disease Control—Robert Redfield & Robert Moffit, The Daily Signal
16. What A Croc: Don’t Let ‘LA GATOR’ Scholarships Go Underfunded—Jason Bedrick, The Daily Signal
17. Reforms In Corporate Governance Could Boost Appeal Of US Stocks, Economy—Sanjai Bhagat & Siri Terjesen, The Daily Signal
18. Trump DOJ Steps Into Breach To Defend Religious Liberty—Katelynn Richardson, DCNF
19. ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ As Viewed From Abroad—George Harizanov, The Daily Signal
20. Qatar’s Offer Of Gift Of Presidential Jet To Trump Encounters Turbulence In Senate—Jacob Adams, The Daily Signal
21. Harvard Bargains With Trump Administration And Loses Another $450 Million In Federal Grant—Jaryn Crouson, DCNF
22. Muriel Bowser Finally Gets Smart And Bends The Knee To Trump—John Loftus, DCNF
23. Rubio Plans Deep Cuts To National Security Council—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
24. U.S., Turkey, Syria To Finalize Details Of Syria Sanctions Rollback—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
25. Zelensky Draws Line: Only Putin, No Proxies, At Istanbul Talks—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
26. Trump Sets Tone For Middle East Tour: Morality Is God's Job, Mine Is America First—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
27. Spotlight On India-Pakistan Fighter Jet Battle—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
28. Everything You Need To Know About Trump’s Visit To Qatar—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
29. Republicans Pass First Piece Of Trump Budget After All-Night Debate—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
30. Brazil's Lula Presses Putin To Attend Peace Talks—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
31. Trump On Syria’s President: ‘He’s Got a Real Shot’—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
32. Samsung Beats Apple To Market With Thinnest Phone—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
33. World’s Tallest Bridge To Open June 2025—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
TIPP Market Brief – May 15, 2025
Your Morning Snapshot
📊 Market Snapshot
- S&P 500: ▲ 5,892.58 (0.10% )
- 10-Year Yield: ▲ 4.528%, (3 basis points)
- Crude Oil (WTI): ▼$62.89 (1.23%)
- Bitcoin (BTC): ▼$102,047.50
- US Dollar Index (USD): ▼100.83 (0.22%)
- Gold: ▼$3,180.99 (2.23%)
Bigger Charts: $SPX | $TNX | $WTIC | $BTCUSD | $USD | $GOLD
📈 Featured Stock
Our pick for today’s featured stock
📰 News & Headlines
2 Major European Bank Stocks Have Thumped the S&P 500 Index This Year. They Still Trade at Less Than 65 Cents on the Dollar—Bram Berkowitz, The Motley Fool
Is Deutsche Bank (DB) The Best Performing Large Cap Stock So Far in 2025?—Talha Qureshi, Insider Monkey
⭐Recent Featured Stocks
Howmet Aerospace, Inc.(HWM) (5/14)
Okta, Inc.(OKTA) (5/13)
Root, Inc.(ROOT) (5/12)
Sea Limited (SE) (5/9)
Philip Morris (PM) (5/8)
Comstock Resources (CRK) (5/7)
Spotify (SPOT) (5/6)
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) (5/5)
Stride, Inc. (LRN). (5/2)
NetfliX (NFLX) (5/1)
More here
🧠 Macro Insight
U.S. futures are down as investors wait for key economic reports and more earnings. Today’s PPI and retail sales data will give fresh insight into inflation and consumer strength. Walmart (WMT) and Alibaba (BABA) report earnings, offering a closer look at global shopper behavior.
President Trump said a nuclear deal with Iran may be near, raising hopes for lower geopolitical tension. Oil prices dropped as a possible Iran deal could boost global supply, and U.S. stockpiles rose, pointing to weaker demand.
📅 Key Events Today
- 08:30 AM ET – Core Retail Sales (April)
It reflects consumer spending trends, excluding autos, which are key drivers of economic growth. - 08:30 AM ET – Initial Jobless Claims
Weekly snapshot of layoffs, closely watched for signs of labor market shifts. - 08:30 AM ET – Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (May)
Gauges factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic; an early read on industrial momentum. - 08:30 AM ET – PPI (April)
Measures wholesale inflation and can signal future consumer price trends. - 08:30 AM ET – Retail Sales (April)
A broad read on consumer spending, a major contributor to GDP. - 08:40 AM ET – Fed Chair Powell Speaks
Markets will parse his comments for signals on interest rates and economic outlook.
