Legal AF – The Intersection with Michael Popok

Full Episode – 11/25/2025
Host: Michael Popok (MeidasTouch Network)
Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Intersection, Michael Popok, national trial lawyer and executive director of Legal AF, offers incisive analysis on the week's most consequential legal and political developments. Popok weaves current legal cases into a broader narrative about the state of American democracy, drawing analogies to the American Revolution and highlighting ongoing battles between rule of law and executive overreach. The episode centers on four main cases:

• The dismissal of indictments against James Comey and Letitia James
• Judge Chutkan’s order for release of the Epstein-Trump correspondence
• Judge Boasberg’s revived criminal contempt probe of the Trump DOJ
• Recent lawsuits and whistleblower actions exposing corruption and abuse of power

The tone is urgent, passionate, and personal—Popok ties legal updates into larger themes of justice, institutional integrity, and civic engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defending Democracy: American Revolution Analogy

• Popok’s opening uses Ken Burns’s documentary as inspiration, comparing current legal battles (especially those resisting Trump’s efforts) to patriots fighting King George:
  • “What is Donald Trump as his grip on power slips, but a failing King George? And what are we but patriots fighting for our way of life and to fight for our Constitution…” (00:36)
• Emphasizes the active, ongoing nature of this “revolutionary period,” urging listeners to engage in the defense of democracy.

2. Judge Curry’s Ruling & The Fate of the Comey and James Indictments

• Judge Curry (Eastern District of Virginia):
  • Ruled that Lindsey Halligan was illegally appointed as U.S. Attorney, rendering her prosecutions—including against James Comey—invalid.
  • Curry cited right-wing judges (including Sam Alito and Aileen Cannon) to support her decision, underscoring the ruling’s “bulletproof” nature.
  • Dismissal of the indictments was without prejudice, but Curry’s footnote implied the prosecution is likely finished due to expired statutes of limitation:
    • “She suggested in a footnote, case is over for Comey.” (16:39)
• Implications:
  • After Halligan was fired and replaced, subsequent indictments could not stand.
  • Trump’s pattern of cycling through unqualified interim appointees to circumvent Senate confirmation is exposed.
  • Judge Curry emphasized the constitutional process for appointments; courts (not presidents) pick the next US Attorney if deadlines are missed.
• James Comey reacts:
  • Gives a powerful message about the importance of legal integrity and independence, and condemns Trump’s use of DOJ for personal vendetta (17:40):

    • "A message has to be sent that the President of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target his political enemies. I don't care what your politics are, you have to see that as fundamentally un-American and a threat to the rule of law that keeps all of us free.”

    • “I am innocent. I am not afraid. And I believe in an independent federal judiciary, the gift from our founders that protects us from a would-be tyrant…” (18:52)

• Outcome for Letitia James:
  • Awaiting appointment of new US Attorney by the district court; Popok predicts rapid escalation to appellate courts and possibly the Supreme Court if Trump resists.

3. Judge Chutkan Orders Epstein-Trump Files Released

• Background:
  • Public outcry and congressional action for release of Epstein client files—pressure mounted by survivors, political figures, and the public.
  • “Donald Trump's always had the power to unlock the door and release all the Epstein files, but he won't.” (22:19)
• Democracy Forward Lawsuit:
  • Sky Perryman (Democracy Forward) wins summary judgment; Judge Chutkan orders immediate release of all DOJ/FBI correspondence between Trump and Epstein as per FOIA request.
  • Judge calls out government for “flip-flopping” on transparency and cites public interest as justification.
• Impact & Next Steps:
  • Anticipated appeals by Trump’s DOJ; likely fast-track attempt to Supreme Court, but Popok doubts they’ll intervene on this scandal (28:04).
  • Notes that the files—according to independent reporters—are “worse for Trump than originally thought.”
  • Popok highlights the persistent role of Pam Bondi, referencing her conflicting statements about the files’ status and her attempts at political obstruction.
• Notable Moment:
  • Audio clip of Pam Bondi admitting the Epstein client list is “sitting on my desk” under review at Trump’s directive (26:53).

4. Judge Boasberg’s Revived Criminal Contempt Case: DOJ Defiance

• Whistleblower Allegations:
  • Erez Reveni, former DOJ attorney, reveals Emil Bove (then DOJ #3, now a 3rd Circuit judge) told DOJ lawyers to “go tell federal judges to go f off”—explicitly encouraging contempt of court:
    • “He ordered effectively all of the lawyers to go tell federal judges to go f off, literally f off.” (34:58)
• Context:
  • Concerned a 2021 case where Trump’s DOJ secretly deported 200 Venezuelans in defiance of a court order.
• Key Developments:
  • Boasberg restarts the contempt fact-finding; wants to hear directly from whistleblower and implicated officials.
  • Popok plays a notable exchange from 60 Minutes (38:27) and Bove’s cagey Senate testimony under questioning from Adam Schiff (39:53):

    • Sen. Adam Schiff: “Would you recall… if you said or suggested… that maybe they should consider telling the court fuck you?... Is that also something you frequently do…?”

    • Emil Bove: “I don’t recall.”

• ACLU’s Lee Gelernt:
  • Interview with Popok:

  • “If we can’t count on the United States Department of Justice adhering to court orders, that’s a whole other world we’re in.” (44:44)

• Popok’s Take:
  • Predicts further stonewalling and appeals by Trump’s DOJ, but says Boasberg is determined to get to the bottom of the contempt.

5. Eric Swalwell Sues Trump Ally Bill Pulte – Pushback against Bullies

• Context:
  • Bill Pulte, Trump surrogate and head of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, orchestrated bogus “mortgage fraud” attacks against Letitia James, Adam Schiff, and others—weaponizing unsubstantiated materials for political gain.
• Swalwell’s Response:
  • Filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief:
    • “That’s what you gotta do to a bully. You gotta up to a bully, punch him in the face and take his lunch money. And that’s what the Democrats are starting to do.” (46:39)
• Popok’s Commentary:
  • Notes the shift in political winds—Trump’s “shrinking power,” Republican dissension, and the prospect of losing key seats as Republicans break from MAGA leadership.

6. Joe Schnit: DOJ’s Epstein Cover-up Exposed via “Honeypot” Sting

• What happened:
  • Joe Schnit, former DOJ Witness Protection chief, was covertly recorded by an undercover Project Veritas operative admitting that the DOJ would “redact every Republican or conservative person in those [Epstein] files. Leave all the liberal Democratic people in those files,” and that Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to minimum security was a political favor (53:56).
  • Schnit was promptly fired after audio surfaced; now suing for reinstatement, citing that Trump eliminated the Merit Systems Protection Board, making administrative justice impossible.
• Popok’s Take:
  • Notes that absence of federal worker protections under Trump is funneling whistleblowers into federal courts, instead of being handled by neutral administrative bodies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On law vs. man:
  • “We're not a country of men or women. We're a country of laws.” – Michael Popok (08:15)
• On Comey prosecution:
  • “Her indictment that followed, signed by nobody else, obtained by nobody else but her, cannot stand and is not an indictment…” (16:52)
• James Comey’s call to action:
  • “It's time to stand up and show the fools who would frighten us, who would divide us, that we're made of stronger stuff, that we believe in the rule of law...” (19:30)
• On DOJ contempt:
  • “He ordered effectively all of the lawyers to go tell federal judges to go f off, literally f off.” – Michael Popok (34:58)
• ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt (on contempt case):
  • “If we can’t count on the United States Department of Justice adhering to court orders, that’s a whole other world we’re in.” (44:44)
• On Trump’s losing grip:
  • “The incredible shrinking president that I’ve been talking about for the last nine months. He’s now about three foot tall and he goes to Betty Bai with his baba. Very early, they call lid on their day, like really early…” (47:15)
• On Project Veritas sting:
  • “He accidentally told the truth about the cover-up… and then he got fired for it. And he wants his job back and he sued over it.” (54:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Clip | |-----------|-----------------------------| | 00:36 | Revolutionary analogy and “current rebellion” | | 03:48 | Overview of four case updates | | 10:52 | Judge Curry’s ruling & Lindsey Halligan discussion | | 16:39 | Dismissal of Comey indictment explained | | 17:40 | James Comey’s statement (full clip) | | 19:48 | Letitia James case & appointment process | | 20:46 | Pam Bondi’s response on Halligan status (audio clip) | | 26:43 | Pam Bondi’s Fox interview: “It’s sitting on my desk” (clip) | | 28:04 | Analysis of Trump’s likely appeal in Epstein files case | | 34:58 | Erez Reveni whistleblower account: DOJ contempt | | 38:27 | 60 Minutes: Erez Reveni on DOJ orders (clip) | | 39:53 | Senator Schiff questions Emil Bove in Senate hearing (clip) | | 42:54 | Lee Gelernt (ACLU) on the contempt hearing (clip) | | 46:39 | Swalwell’s lawsuit & strategy against bullies | | 53:56 | Joe Schnit’s “honeypot” confession from undercover sting (clip) | | 54:53 | Schnit’s DOJ firing & administrative gaps under Trump | | 61:00 | Reflections on Legal AF community and supporting pro-democracy work |

Closing Reflection and Call to Action

Popok closes with a call for unity, civic vigilance, and gratitude during the Thanksgiving season. He encourages listeners to stay engaged and bolster the Legal AF community, emphasizing the outsized influence and reach that comes with growing their platform:

• “The bigger we get, the more street cred we get… The more it’s easier for me to get guests… only on Legal AF.” (59:19)
• Repeats encouragement to connect, subscribe, and keep the legal-political discussion active and well-supported.

Summary Takeaways

• The episode delivers a forceful critique of Trump’s manipulation of legal institutions, focusing on the rule of law over personal power.
• Major legal cases against figures like James Comey and Letitia James are unraveling due to Trump’s procedural violations.
• Transparency in the Epstein case is advancing, despite ongoing political obstruction.
• Whistleblower and legal community efforts, coupled with assertive litigation, are helping to expose abuse and bolster accountability.
• The podcast blends sharp legal analysis with calls for activism, reinforcing the urgent need for public engagement at this critical junction of law and politics.

For further reading, audio, and filings referenced in this episode, visit the Legal AF Substack.