Man Threatening Red Mass with Explosives
Expressed Hate Toward Supreme Court
A man waiting outside a downtown Washington, D.C, cathedral for the annual Red Mass was concealing more than 200 low-level explosives or incendiaries hours before the Supreme Court justices were scheduled to arrive, according to newly revealed court records.
Louis Geri threatened to ignite the explosives as police arrested him outside of St. Matthew’s Cathedral.
He showed police a notebook with his writings that demonstrated dislike of the Catholic Church, Supreme Court justices, members of the Jewish faith and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the court records.
The Red Mass is an annual event that serves as the opening religious ceremony for a new session of the Supreme Court.
Geri had put up a tent in front of the doors to the cathedral. The explosives and incendiary devices were inside the tent.
Police found them as they cleared the steps and surrounding street to prepare for the arrival of the Supreme Court justices. They included an explosive chemical called nitromethane, bottle rockets and Molotov cocktails.
Geri reportedly told the police, “You might want to stay back and call the federales, I have explosives.” He was holding a butane lighter, police said.
They arrested him as he stepped away from his tent to urinate next to a tree. An FBI bomb squad determined the explosives were functional.
Geri, 41, faces eight charges, including manufacture or possession of a weapon of mass destruction in furtherance of a hate crime. He is being held without bond.
The justices called off their appearance at the Red Mass because of the security concern.
For more information, contact The Legal Forum (www.legal-forum.net) at email: tramstack@gmail.com or phone: 202-479-7240.
Supreme Court Hears Case on Right
Of Politicians to Sue Over Mail-In Ballots
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority signaled last week that candidates for federal office are close to gaining greater discretion to challenge state election laws.
The immediate issue is mail-in ballots.
The bigger issue is whether politicians have a right to sue to challenge the way states run their elections, according to an Illinois congressman whose lawsuit is pending before the Supreme Court.
Washington, D.C., has some of the nation’s most liberal laws allowing mail-in ballots.
A ruling in favor of Rep. Michael Bost, R-Ill., is likely to increase post-election litigation to challenge vote counts.
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Williams & Connolly’s Computers Hacked
In Apparent Chinese Espionage Campaign
The Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Williams & Connolly is assessing damage from a data breach linked to Chinese hackers.
The firm sent letters to clients last week informing them that its computers had been illegally tapped.
Williams & Connolly has represented high-profile politicians, such as Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as major corporations in the technology, health care and media sectors.
“Given the nature of the threat actor, we have no reason to believe that the data will be disclosed or used publicly,” the letter said.
The firm appeared to imply the hackers were engaged in espionage rather than extortion. If true, it could confirm intelligence reports of a broader Chinese campaign to find secretive information beneficial in its trade competition with the United States.
The hackers reportedly used a "zero-day attack" by exploiting a software vulnerability that gives them access to attorney email accounts. Williams & Connolly has partnered with cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to eliminate any further vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity firm Mandiant issued a warning in September that suspected Chinese hackers are targeting U.S. law firms.
Washington-based Wiley Rein reported being hacked in July. The firm represents many large corporations, some of whom compete with Chinese enterprises.
The Chinese government denies hacking U.S. law firm computers. The FBI’s Washington field office is investigating.
For more information, contact The Legal Forum (www.legal-forum.net) at email: tramstack@gmail.com or phone: 202-479-7240.
Political Name-Calling Overshadows Cases
Against FBI Director and New York A.G.
Pretrial motions planned in the cases against the former FBI director and the New York attorney general indicate they believe politics is the issue, not crime.
They both face years in prison if they are convicted on charges in federal court in Alexandria, Va.
They plan to argue in motions to dismiss that President Donald Trump’s desire for revenge against his political adversaries is driving the charges against them.
They accuse the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia of vindictive and selective prosecution. If true, their allegations would be a violation of their 14th Amendment rights to equal protection that could result in dismissal or acquittal.
New York attorney general Letitia James was indicted on mortgage fraud charges.
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Bondi Says National Guard in D.C.
Shows Success of Enforcement Effort
An aggressive crime-fighting effort that started in August in Washington, D.C., was used as an example at a Senate hearing last week of why the National Guard is being sent to cities nationwide.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said crime figures are showing sharp declines in cities where the troops have been sent.
In addition to Washington, they have been sent to Los Angeles and Memphis. President Donald Trump wants to send hundreds of other guardsmen to Chicago, despite opposition and legal challenges from local officials.
Bondi helped to organize Justice Department task forces assisted by the National Guard that are being sent to the cities.
Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department reports that violent crime is down 28 percent through September compared with the same period in 2024.
Power the Civil Rights Work of Our Time
Each day members of our community are experiencing wage theft, the effects of gentrification, discriminatory policing, collateral consequences, marginalization in schools, and barriers to public accommodations.
We fight alongside people facing the effects of gentrification like Amira Moore. Our work empowers the people and communities who need it most, “We can do more than we think. There’s a path to equity, we just have to step to it.” –Ms. Moore
For more than 50 years, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee has been on the frontlines of the fight for civil rights in our community. We deploy the best legal talent, we tackle the tough cases, we fight, and we win.
Our work is as important today as it has ever been. Through your support, you can play a role in creating justice for thousands of marginalized members of our community. Together, we will dismantle injustice and pursue lasting change.
Join us! Donate & subscribe: https://www.washlaw.org/support-us
Volunteer with us: https://www.washlaw.org/get-involved/
For more information, contact Gregg Kelley at Gregg_Kelley@washlaw.org
D.C. in Brief
We Could Use Your Help
Thousands of DC residents need a lawyer, but can’t afford one. They could be illegally evicted from their homes, lose custody of their children, experience domestic violence, and more, all because they lack legal representation.
You could make a difference. By making a donation to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, you will provide free, high-quality, zealous legal representation to low-income DC residents.
Your support could prevent homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, or family separation. In fact, if just 10 people who see this ad give $28 to Legal Aid, it will be enough to staff an experienced attorney at the courthouse for a day.
That way, DC residents like Keith King (pictured above) can get the legal representation they need to win their cases. As Mr. King put it, if it wasn’t for his Legal Aid lawyer, “I would have been homeless again.”
Here is the link to the Legal Aid website for donations: https://www.legalaiddc.org/donate-to-legal-aid/
For more information, contact Rob Pergament at Legal Aid at rpergament@legalaiddc.org