Checks and Balances (organization)

{{Short description|American political-legal advocacy group}}

{{use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}Checks and Balances is a group of conservative and libertarian attorneys that was formed in November 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/us/politics/conservative-lawyers-trump.html|title=Conservative Lawyers Say Trump Has Undermined the Rule of Law|access-date=2018-11-15|language=en}} It is composed of some members of the conservative-libertarian Federalist Society, which had assisted the Trump administration in selecting appointees for federal courts. Charter members of the new organization included, George Conway, Tom Ridge, Peter Keisler, Jonathan H. Adler, Orin Kerr, Lori S. Meyer, Paul McNulty, Phillip D. Brady, John B. Bellinger III, Carrie Cordero, Marisa C. Maleck, Alan Charles Raul, and Paul Rosenzweig, amongst others.{{Cite web|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5096610-Checks-and-Balances.html|title=Checks and Balances – Mission Statement|last=Liptak|first=Adam|date=|website=www.documentcloud.org |language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2018-11-15}}{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/14/politics/george-conway-conservative-lawyers-group/index.html|title=George Conway, conservative lawyers form group to speak out against Trump|author1=Veronica Stracqualursi |author2=Laura Jarrett|work=CNN|access-date=2018-11-15}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2018/11/14/new-conservative-lawyers-group-checks-and-balances-bristles-at-trump/?slreturn=20181015171718|title=New Conservative Lawyers' Group 'Checks and Balances' Bristles at Trump |work=National Law Journal|access-date=2018-11-15}} The group was formed to provide a conservative legal voice for responses when, in its words, "Trump attacks the Justice Department and the news media".

Organization member Peter Keisler said the group had received an "overwhelmingly positive response", including from Federalist Society members,{{cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-sneak-peek-5d299a4a-778b-48d6-b193-e06dce3cf43e.html|title=Axios Sneak Peek|website=Axios|access-date=November 20, 2018}} however, the formation of the group was sharply criticized by Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo, saying he found "the underlying premise of the group rather offensive".

On October 10, 2019, the group released a statement offering its legal reasoning for an "expeditious" impeachment probe into President Trump.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/george-conway-and-other-prominent-conservatives-call-for-expeditious-impeachment-probe/2019/10/09/4971b404-eade-11e9-9c6d-436a0df4f31d_story.html|title=George Conway and other prominent conservatives call for 'expeditious' impeachment probe|last=Itkowitz|first=Colby|date=2019-10-10|newspaper=The Washington Post|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191011075556/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/george-conway-and-other-prominent-conservatives-call-for-expeditious-impeachment-probe/2019/10/09/4971b404-eade-11e9-9c6d-436a0df4f31d_story.html|archive-date=2019-10-11|access-date=}} Citing the Special Counsel's report, which highlights that the "Trump 2016 campaign was open to and enthusiastic about receiving Russian government-facilitated assistance to gain an advantage in the previous election", it outlined the recent facts regarding Trump's attempts to put pressure on Ukraine for his personal and political benefit.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/465137-george-conway-conservative-attorneys-call-for-trump-impeachment-vote|title=George Conway, conservative attorneys urge House to move quickly on impeachment|last=Wise|first=Justin|date=2019-10-10|website=The Hill|language=en|access-date=2019-10-13}}{{Cite web|url=https://checks-and-balances.org/new-statement-from-checks-and-balances-on-president-trumps-abuse-of-office/|title=New Statement from Checks and Balances on President Trump's Abuse of Office|date=2019-10-10|website=Checks and Balances|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-13}} After the statement by Checks and Balances was published, organization member George Conway said that the White House letter (reported by the Daily Beast as mostly written by Trump),{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-favorite-impeachment-lawyer-is-trump-himself|title=Trump's Favorite Impeachment Lawyer Is ...Trump Himself|last=Stein|first=Asawin Suebsaeng{{!}}Sam|date=2019-10-12|access-date=2019-10-13|language=en}} refusing to cooperate in the House of Representatives impeachment hearings, was "trash".{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/09/politics/george-conway-white-house-letter-trash/index.html|title=George Conway: White House letter condemning impeachment proceedings is 'trash'|last=Kelly|first=Caroline|website=CNN|access-date=2019-10-13}}

In November 2023, an opinion piece in The New York Times by George Conway, J. Michael Luttig, and Barbara Comstock announced that Checks and Balances had become Society for the Rule of Law.{{cite news |last1=Conway |first1=George |last2=Luttig |first2=J. Michael |last3=Comstock |first3=Barbara |title=America Needs a Pro-Democracy Conservative Legal Establishment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/opinion/trump-lawyers-constitution-democracy.html |date=November 21, 2023 |work=The New York Times |url-access=subscription |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121113605/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/opinion/trump-lawyers-constitution-democracy.html |archivedate=November 21, 2023 |accessdate=December 1, 2023 }}{{cite news |first=Martin |last=Pengelly |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Prominent conservative lawyers band together to fight Trump threat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/21/anti-trump-conservative-lawyers |work=The Guardian |access-date=December 1, 2023}}