Biden-Era Rulings and Trump Tariffs, Diddy Trial Update | Bloomberg Law

Major Questions Doctrine and Tariffs

• 💡 The major questions doctrine, first explicitly mentioned by the Supreme Court in 2022, requires Congress to be explicit when granting federal agencies authority over issues of major political and economic significance.
• ⚖️ This doctrine, used to limit Biden administration climate and student debt initiatives, is now being applied to challenge the legal standing of President Trump's global tariffs.
• 🏛️ Arguments suggest that the statute Congress passed for emergency situations may not explicitly grant the president authority for worldwide, indefinite tariffs totaling trillions of dollars.
• 🚀 Proponents view the major questions doctrine as a means to enforce the constitutional separation of powers, ensuring agencies and the president do not exceed congressional intent.

Federal Contractor Bias Enforcement Shifts

• 🏢 The Trump administration's budget proposal aims to shift enforcement of anti-bias for disabled federal contractors from the OFCCP to the EEOC.
• 🔍 The OFCCP historically conducted proactive audits of federal contractors, while the EEOC is primarily charge-driven and reactive.
• ⚠️ Experts believe Congress will likely need to reauthorize the EEOC's authority to enforce Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, as statutory obligations were granted to the Department of Labor.
• ⏳ Cases pending with the OFCCP have been paused due to a memo regarding the executive order, leaving affected workers in limbo.

Diddy Trial: Racketeering and Evidence

• 🎤 The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs involves five criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
• 🤝 Witnesses seeking immunity are concerned about their own criminal liability for drug use or participation in alleged schemes.
• ⚖️ The defense strategy includes undermining witness credibility by highlighting their drug use and portraying alleged acts as consensual or domestic disputes rather than criminal offenses.
• 🎬 The most damning evidence presented is a video from the Intercontinental Hotel showing Diddy engaging in violence against Cassie Ventura, which prosecutors argue supports claims of human trafficking and racketeering.
• 🗣️ Diddy's defense attempts to frame the violence as domestic violence, distinct from the alleged consensual sexual acts, a distinction the prosecution and some commentators find difficult for a jury to separate.