EXCLUSIVE: Dem-donating prof to teach Mueller investigation course

Stetson University Law School in Florida is offering a one-credit course on the Robert Mueller investigation during the 2019-2020 academic school year. 

Titled “The Mueller Investigation and Beyond,” the course “explores the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the indictments, criminal informations, plea agreements, and other legal documents and cases coming from this investigation.” Tenured Stetson law professor Ellen Podgor, who specializes in white collar and criminal law, will teach the course, the Stetson University Registrar’s Office confirmed to Campus Reform. 

Podgor is a Democrat donor and frequently opines on the Mueller investigation on her Twitter account and law blog. 

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According to data from the Federal Election Commission, between 2017 and 2018, Podgor gave $150 to ActBlue, an online Democrat fundraising tool. Other 2017-2018 data from OpenSecrets.org indicates Podgor donated $125 to Democrat Doug Jones’ Senate campaign, and $25 to Democrat Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign. 

In a March blog post, Podgor criticized Attorney General William Barr’s summary of the Mueller investigation. The professor went as far as to question whether President Donald Trump was legitimately elected in 2016.  

“And even if [the Mueller investigation] ‘did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities,’ do we know if the results of the election were accurate?” she wrote in the post.

Podgor followed this with questions on Russian hacking of Clinton campaign and Democratic Party emails, asking, “again, did we have a fair election?”

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The professor also thanked Mueller in a November post, writing “Thank you Special Counsel Mueller for continuing this important investigation.”

In a post titled “2018 White Collar Crime Awards,” Podgor handed out “collar awards” for white collar individuals, writing “The Collar for the Most Likely to Inadvertently Pull the Execution Switch on His Client – [Trump’s personal attorney] Rudy Giuliani,” “The Collar for the Least Likely to Discuss Politics in Bed – [Counselor to President Trump] Kellyann[e] Conway and [husband] George Conway,” “The Collar for Best Game of Hide and Seek – To Donald Trump for continuing to refuse to disclose his tax returns (third year in a row),” and “The Collar for the Best Insurance Protection if in Prison – To Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and others for passing a criminal justice reform act that will assist some serving time.”

Podgor’s commentary isn’t just limited to the Mueller investigation. The Stetson professor was one of dozens of law professors in Florida who signed a letter criticizing Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh’s temperament during his Senate confirmation hearing last fall, according to The New York Times. 

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Campus Reform reached out to Stetson Law School for comment on the course and to inquire whether Podgor was an appropriate professor to teach it, but received no response in time for publication. 

Podger told Campus Reform, “in my years as a law professor I have strived to teach the law in an impartial manner. The upcoming Mueller course focuses strictly on the law and legal process without political commentary or slant. As in all my classes, I respect my students and their personal perspectives.” 

Podger added that she has worked with the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, although she did not offer specifics. 

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @eduneret