CAFE

The Counsel

News EN ↓ 357 episodes

Join Elie Honig as he unpacks the complex legal issues shaping our country. A former prosecutor and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, CNN senior legal analyst, and author, Honig brings sharp insight and clear perspective to the intersections of law, politics, and current events. New episodes every Friday. From CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Author

CAFE

Category

News

Podcast website

cafe.com

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

Where to listen?

Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soon

Podcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts

Get it on Google Play Install for free Android 5M+ downloads · 4.8 rating iOS soon

Episodes

Note from Asha 3/19: Why the Alien Enemies Act Is So Dangerous in Trump's Hands 19.03.2025

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a  Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security.  For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to...

Note from Elie 3/17: Trump Pushes Courts to the Brink 17.03.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Elie 3/14: Eric Adams: NYC’s Mayor, DOJ’s Yo-Yo 14.03.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Mimi 3/12: Protecting Prosecutorial Independence 12.03.2025

Mimi Rocah is the former District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, and a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. Throughout her career, she has focused on prosecuting organized crime, corruption, and human trafficking, earning a reputation for her sharp legal expertise and commitment to justice. For a transcript of Mimi’s note and the full archive of contributor...

Note from Elie 3/7: Blocked, Un-Blocked, Re-Blocked: How to Understand the Dizzying DOGE Court Rulings 07.03.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note From Barb 3/5: Trump's Retribution Tour Hits the 6th Amendment 05.03.2025

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.  For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note from Elie 2/27: The Nation’s Most Dangerous Prosecutor 27.02.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Rachel 2/26: Authoritarian Agencies 26.02.2025

Trump and Musk are on a self-declared mission to destroy the bureaucracy and the “deep state" — and they're taking aim at the government's independent agencies. CAFE Contributor and administrative law expert Rachel Barkow breaks down why an almost 100-year-old Supreme Court precedent is at risk of being overturned and the danger for the rule of law. Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor...

Note from Asha 2/19: Fearless Speech: What Are You Willing to Risk to Speak Out? 19.02.2025

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security.  For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to C...

Note from Elie 2/18: The Justice Department’s Existential Crisis Is Self-Inflicted 18.02.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Mimi 2/12: A Message to DOJ Rank and File 12.02.2025

Former DA and federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah expresses concern over Attorney General Pam Bondi’s policies and urges junior federal prosecutors to stand firm in their principles with the change in administration. For a transcript of Mimi’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note from Elie 2/11: DOJ Abandons Adams Prosecution — and Independence 12.02.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Elie 2/7: The “Make Me” Presidency 07.02.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Barb: Trump’s Demonization of Public Servants 05.02.2025

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note from Elie 1/31: Donald Trump’s Assault on DOJ 31.01.2025

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note from Rachel 1/29: Pardons Without Process 29.01.2025

CAFE Contributor Rachel Barkow reflects on the pardons issued by President Trump and former President Biden, highlighting the flaws in the pardon process and necessary reforms. Rachel Barkow is the Charles Seligson Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Zimroth Center on the Administration of Criminal Law at NYU. From 2013 to 2019, she served as a Member of the Unite...

Note from Elie 1/24: The Power of Pardons (To Distract) 24.01.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Asha 1/22: Meta's Pay to Play Gambit 22.01.2025

Asha Rangappa is a Senior Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, she served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She is also a legal and national security analyst at CNN and an editor of Just Security.  For a transcript of Asha’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to C...

Note from Elie 1/14: Jack Smith, Paper Tiger 14.01.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Elie 1/10: The Trump Hush Money Sentencing: A Felon, Unpunished 10.01.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Barb 1/8: Only One President is a Felon 08.01.2025

Barb McQuade is the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, a law professor at the University of Michigan, and a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. For a transcript of Barb’s note and the full archive of contributor notes, head to CAFE.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note from Elie 1/7: TikTok's Last Stand 07.01.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Elie 1/3: Your Legal Questions Answered 03.01.2025

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note from Elie 12/20: The GOP's Criminal Case Against Liz Cheney Is a Total Mess 20.12.2024

Elie Honig is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and co-chief of the organized crime unit at the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted more than 100 mobsters, including members of La Cosa Nostra, and the Gambino and Genovese crime families. He went on to serve as Director of the Department of Law and Public Safety at New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. He is currently Special Couns...

Note From Joyce 12/18: Birthright Citizenship 18.12.2024

Joyce Vance, co-host of the CAFE Insider podcast, is a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, a University of Alabama Law School professor, and an MSNBC legal analyst. For a transcript of Joyce’s note head to CAFE.com. To access the full archive of Contributor Notes and other exclusive content, become a CAFE Insider today at CAFE.com/insider. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Listen to the The Counsel podcast in Replaio

Radio and podcasts in one app - free, with no sign-up. Install today and do not miss the launch

Get it on Google Play

Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.