Richard W. Painter

Richard W. Painter

@rwpusa.bsky.social

lawyer, law professor, Independent, Minnesota, USA. Go Gophers!

13.5K followers10 following186 posts

Richard W. Painter reposted

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Replying to @rwpusa.bsky.social

Thanks to recent exposure by Rep. Jamie Raskin and House Judiciary Democrats the former President of Bard College is toast. Gone. Now let's talk about the President of the United States.

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Thanks to recent exposure by Rep. Jamie Raskin and House Judiciary Democrats the former President of Bard College is toast. Gone. Now let's talk about the President of the United States.

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Here we go with the "missing email" defense. This is a lame attempt by Bard College to discredit the Jamie Raskin investigation and his referral of Bard to the FBI over ties with Jeffrey Epstein and suspected sex trafficking from Russia. www.wamc.org/news/2026-10...

wamc.orgBard College releases analysis of email at center of Botstein investigationThe Board of Trustees announced Thursday a forensic analysis of the email conducted by FTI Consulting, a cybersecurity firm, concluded "there is a strong substantive basis for questioning the authenti...
Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

In 2016 hundreds of philosophers signed a petition to have this man removed as editor of an academic journal because of his offensive comments about women and minorities in the field. Now he's back on X (blocking me of course) and surely he will call everyone he disagrees with stupid over there.

Brian Leiter@brianleiter.bsky.social

I'm sorry to report that I'm returning to Twitter. Some of the recent interactions here have been as stupid as those on Twitter, so some of this is just endemic to the medium. On Twitter, I've mostly blocked the worst offenders, and don't want to start over here.1/2

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

In 2016 hundreds of philosophers signed a petition to have this man removed as editor of an academic journal because of his offensive comments about women and minorities in the field. Now he's back on X (blocking me of course) and surely he will call everyone he disagrees with stupid over there.

Brian Leiter@brianleiter.bsky.social

I'm sorry to report that I'm returning to Twitter. Some of the recent interactions here have been as stupid as those on Twitter, so some of this is just endemic to the medium. On Twitter, I've mostly blocked the worst offenders, and don't want to start over here.1/2

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

A few days ago a report was posted on Instagram describing another incident involving this same professor in 2022. After Jamie Raskin's investigation of Bard College, students and alumni are coming forward with reports about what's happening there. It's awful. www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley...

timesunion.comBard professor placed on leave after alum comes forward with sexual assault allegationsKyle Gann is accused of assaulting the former student at his home in 1998.
Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

- @cdj.bsky.social is one of the more ethical academics in philosophy (for years we watched her be attacked by a sexist blogger who thought he had the power to define the field). Now she tackles a bigger problem: corporate AI trying to buy the entire field.

Carolyn Dicey Jennings@cdj.bsky.social

The bad omen, for me, was someone reaching out to offer hundreds of dollars an hour in consulting fees for several hours a week if I were just willing to lend my expertise to some AI companies. Seems fine and reasonable for a philosopher in the Central Valley #AIBubble www.npr.org/2026/10/21/n...

npr.orgAn AI chatbot files for bankruptcy. Is it a bad omen for the industry?Character.AI, which lets users create custom chatbots for immersive roleplaying, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following a string of legal challenges and the loss of top talent.
Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Are the polls so bad the GOP has fallen back on trying to get out the Jeffrey Epstein vote? Amy Acton survived childhood abuse. Her Republican opponent is using it to attack her. 19thnews.org/2026/10/amy-... via @19thnews.org

19thnews.orgAmy Acton survived childhood abuse. Her Republican opponent is using it to attack her.From mocking the Democrat's therapy to an ad featuring her estranged mother, Vivek Ramaswamy and his allies have made it his closing argument against her in the Ohio governor's race.

Richard W. Painter reposted

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Replying to @bardcollege.bsky.social

When are you going to begin the independent investigation of sexual misconduct at Bard urged by many alumni and faculty as well as by the Episcopal Bishop of New York?

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Matthew Heyd, Episcopal Bishop of New York and ex officio Trustee of BardCollege, this morning informed Prof. Karen Painter (U. Minnesota) that he told Bard’s interim president Jonathan Becker that he supports an independent investigation of sexual misconduct at Bard. He will tell the trustees also.

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

This is written from the student's perspective. I have no independent verification of any of this, but it is still worth reading. There have been far too many stories about inappropriate relationships between students and professors at Bard.

Richard W. Painter reposted

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Replying to @rwpusa.bsky.social

Restrictions on time, place and manner of speech make sense. There's no right to block access to Hillel, make noise in the library, disrupt class, or commandeer departmental websites. But does any credible First Amendment lawyer support restricting the content of student speech?

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Restrictions on time, place and manner of speech make sense. There's no right to block access to Hillel, make noise in the library, disrupt class, or commandeer departmental websites. But does any credible First Amendment lawyer support restricting the content of student speech?

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

This attack is illegal under U.S. law and under international law. The Constitution says Congress declares war, not the president. He needed consent from Congress. This is also a violation of the UN Charter, as Iran did not attack the United States first. www.cbsnews.com/live-updates...

cbsnews.comLive Updates: Iran retaliates after U.S.-Israel strikes; Trump calls for regime changeThe U.S. and Israel are attacking Iran, which is responding with attacks on U.S. bases in the region, as President Trump confirms "major combat operations."
Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Here, Claire Finkelstein and coauthors explained last summer why POTUS could attack Iran without consent of Congress. Their main argument: other presidents have done it. Does that excuse apply to everything Trump does that violates our laws and Constitution? www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

washingtonpost.comOpinion | Why Trump didn’t have to ask Congress before striking IranIt has been presidential practice for decades to unilaterally undertake similar military action.

Richard W. Painter reposted

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Replying to @rwpusa.bsky.social

Here, Claire Finkelstein and coauthors explained last summer why POTUS could attack Iran without consent of Congress. Their main argument: other presidents have done it. Does that excuse apply to everything Trump does that violates our laws and Constitution? www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

washingtonpost.comOpinion | Why Trump didn’t have to ask Congress before striking IranIt has been presidential practice for decades to unilaterally undertake similar military action.

Richard W. Painter reposted

Carolyn Dicey Jennings
@cdj.bsky.social

Another chilling story. Alberto Castañeda Mondragón is said to have entered the country legally with no criminal history, a job and family. After being racially profiled by ICE he suffers injuries that give him brain damage, memory loss, an inability to work, and large medical bills. Disgusting.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick@reichlinmelnick.bsky.social

DHS doesn’t even bother trying to lie well. The man whose skull was shattered told the hospital he’d been struck by ICE officers, an ICE officer told hospital staff the guy “got his sh*t rocked,” then when it became clear how badly he was injured, they claimed he deliberately ran into a wall.

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

"No one just happened to be there. Epstein also didn’t pull people into his web and then corrupt them. The club existed. He fit right in." A troubling perspective on elite academia from Ana Marie Cox: newrepublic.com/article/2068... .

newrepublic.comThe Paranoid Style of Jeffrey Epstein Has Come for Us AllThe pedophile plutocrat had some peculiar predilections—especially for academics and thinkers who showed a potential to further his grand experiments in inhumanity.

Richard W. Painter reposted

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Replying to @rwpusa.bsky.social

Many of us in Minnesota disagree with Ilhan Omar on politics, but we will stand up to anyone who seeks to justify or excuse violence against her, falsely accuses her of promoting violence when she has not done so, or spreads false rumors of insurrection and civil war in Minnesota.

Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

As I told MINNPOST here, with all the threats toward lawmakers, heated rhetoric, and crazy people saying there could be civil war in Minnesota, our lawmakers must hire extra security. They have no choice. www.minnpost.com/national/was...

minnpost.comMinnesota lawmakers tap campaign funds to bolster their security - MinnPostAlthough Congress has boosted the amount of money for members' security, some Minnesota lawmakers are spending more for their safety.
Richard W. Painter
@rwpusa.bsky.social

Many of us in Minnesota disagree with Ilhan Omar on politics, but we will stand up to anyone who seeks to justify or excuse violence against her, falsely accuses her of promoting violence when she has not done so, or spreads false rumors of insurrection and civil war in Minnesota.