Sports

A lawyer who stood up to the Department of Justice and won in a high-profile case expressed shock when talking about it being revived.

During an appearance on CNN on Tuesday night, lawyer Norm Eisen spoke about the possibility of President Donald Trump's DOJ bringing back the case against Olympic canoer David Hearn, who was accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. The case was dismissed last week, as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, said that the damage happened during installation.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins asked Eisen about the possibility of the Trump DOJ bringing the case back, despite Pirro saying that the evidence pointed to a botched installation by the Interior Department, not Hearn, who constantly denied allegations that he ripped up the pool's liner.

"If there are charges brought against him again, I mean, would you use Jeanine Pirro's filing to fight those charges?" Collins asked. "Wouldn't that be the word of the DOJ versus the DOJ?"

Eisen laughed, agreeing with the absurdity. "It's so unbelievable," Eisen said. "They said in that filing that there was no evidence beyond a reasonable doubt because the damage was caused by a botched and rushed installation."

If the DOJ follows through, "The very first thing that the judge, if charges are brought again, is the words of the U.S. attorney's office blaming the Department of the Interior," Eisen said.

Eisen brought up that he used to work as President Barack Obama's special counsel and recalled a memo that said, "The president could not interfere with or intervene in enforcement cases precisely to avoid this kind of thing."

He continued, "So the outrageousness of it, it won't stand in a court of law if it comes back, and I assume the reason we read about it today in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere is because people in the DOJ are as horrified as I am."

Los Angeles Lakers fans are in open revolt after reports that the storied franchise is being sold to venture capitalist Josh Kushner — brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner — and former Disney CEO Bob Iger.

The record-shattering deal, reported Wednesday, values the team at roughly $12 billion, with some outlets putting it as high as $12.5 billion, the largest sum ever for a U.S. sports franchise.

The buyers would take over from Mark Walter, who wrested control from the Buss family only last year at a $10 billion valuation. Reports tied Walter's swift exit to a federal probe into his firm, TWG Global, and to health concerns after a 2024 stroke. The sale would need NBA approval.

For many fans, Josh Kushner's involvement was a bridge too far.

Josh Kushner is the son of Charles Kushner, the developer pardoned by Trump and later tapped as ambassador to France, and the brother of Jared, whose White House dealings have drawn repeated ethics alarms. His brother is married to President Trump's daughter Ivanka.

The revelation instantly sparked backlash.

"This entire country ... is being strip mined by trump family members," Twitch streamer Scoob fumed. "this is f---ing nuts dude."

"I simply can’t believe this," Lakers fanatic known as D.O.C. bemoaned.

"This is…weird," chimed in NBA commentator Bomani Jones.

Others tied the sale to LeBron James's decision to bolt to Philadelphia. "Maybe that's why LeBron wanted to get the f--- out," another critic jabbed.

Iger, a longtime NBA enthusiast, and Kushner had reportedly explored launching a Las Vegas expansion team before pivoting to the Lakers. The pair said they were honored to become stewards of one of the most iconic franchises in sports.