Founder, Public Integrity Project https://publicintegrityproject.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mlrafjrbm22lGot to speak to @kqedforum.bsky.social about forced arbitration and how it's shaping your life (for the worse) https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101913824/the-hidden-world-of-forced-arbitration13 May 2026 21:23 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrafjrbm22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mlns37cvek2sWHEN COMPANIES RUN THE COURTS is out today. It tells how the Supreme Court created a shadow justice system where companies pay judges, and where people almost always lose. Whether you know it or not, you are a part of this system. Get the book and find out how to escape: shorturl.at/D0KZ0 https://www.amazon.com/When-Companies-Run-Courts-Arbitration/dp/154170571812 May 2026 12:29 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlns37cvek2shttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mlehmhwlo22gWe're demanding Paramount disclose its records of any corrupt agreements it made to get approval to buy Warner Bros. This is how we stop this deal from happening. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-05-08/press-freedom-groups-allege-larry-ellison-has-promised-to-fire-cnn-anchors08 May 2026 19:27 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlehmhwlo22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mkv3agpp4s2zIncredible decision. Consumers are forced into arbitration with Kohl's. Kohl's refuses to pay its share of the arbitration, so the arbitrator shuts down the proceedings. The Seventh Circuit rules that the consumers can't proceed in arbitration *or* in court.02 May 2026 16:36 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkv3agpp4s2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mks4ggwljk2oMy piece in the NYT: if you feel like companies are increasingly beyond the reach of the law, it’s because they are. You are signing away your right to ever sue them if they cheat, discriminate, or even kill you. And it’s all thanks to the Supreme Court. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/opinion/arbitration.html?unlocked_article_code=1.fFA.Cd1Y.ZunN92jGT7aj&smid=url-share01 May 2026 12:19 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mks4ggwljk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mkqjm2mwc22xThis morning we filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court. Companies are trying to make it harder for retirees to fight investments in opaque private equity firms. We are explaining why, unsurprisingly, that's a bad idea. Read the brief: shorturl.at/SqRmA https://shorturl.at/SqRmA30 Apr 2026 21:10 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqjm2mwc22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mkkmwaugic2yMy new book on America's secret justice system, WHEN COMPANIES RUN THE COURTS, is out May 12. @slate.com has a great review: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/book-court-forced-arbitration-fail-disney-plus.html28 Apr 2026 12:53 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkmwaugic2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mkidytn2ik2kThis morning we sued Todd Blanche for failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, withholding documents, and improperly redacting others. Thank you @katiephang.bsky.social for bringing this case. Read the complaint here: shorturl.at/hlu2f https://shorturl.at/hlu2f27 Apr 2026 15:08 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkidytn2ik2khttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mjqfo3qebs2dOur client has obtained documents showing how tech companies worked with DOJ to circumvent the TikTok law. Evidence of how the laws work very differently for the powerful. https://www.levernews.com/inside-big-techs-secret-push-for-tiktok-immunity/18 Apr 2026 02:34 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjqfo3qebs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3miwarmsn522zKirkus review for WHEN COMPANIES RUN THE COURTS out today: "Sign on the dotted line, and sign your rights away. . . . A well-reasoned denunciation of justice unserved, and a cogent demand for overhauling a patently corrupt system." Pre-order today: https://www.amazon.com/When-Companies-Run-Courts-Arbitration/dp/154170571807 Apr 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwarmsn522zhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3miwa4y5mgs2zWe have filed our amended petition in our lawsuit against President Trump for approving the illegal sale of TikTok to allies who enriched him. Among the allegations: TikTok U.S. is continuing to share American user data with Chinese ByteDance. Read here: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cadc.42917/gov.uscourts.cadc.42917.01208837989.0.pdf07 Apr 2026 16:46 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3miwa4y5mgs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mhqswno7ws2tIn the dry realm of corporate speak, this McKinsey quote is telling: an admission that private equity firms don't actually bother to improve companies, despite their claims otherwise.23 Mar 2026 19:41 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhqswno7ws2thttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mhg44ueyzk2uI spoke with @greggnunziata.bsky.social about political corruption and the legal path to fight it. I'm always grateful to speak to groups like Gregg's, because whatever liberal/conservative policy disagreements we have, we're united in a deeper commitment to the rule of law. https://youtu.be/T4bt0ugXLAs?t=95319 Mar 2026 13:26 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhg44ueyzk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mh4imbqaa22kI try not to react to culture war grifters, but Sen. Kennedy went to Oxford and UVA. I also saw him on a flight once spend *an hour* reading the Congress Live Net Worth Tracker. Anyways, this fake anti-elitism gets a little tiring.15 Mar 2026 17:43 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh4imbqaa22khttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mgx7tadkrc2kIf these statements are actually defamatory, I hope @katmabu.bsky.social sues the mysterious "Democracy Unmuted" for discovery on its identity. [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Mar 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgx7tadkrc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mguureuqwc2bWe explained our legal strategy for suing over public corruption with @jenrubin.bsky.social. More to come... [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 Mar 2026 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mguureuqwc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/brendanballou.bsky.social/post/3mgso3gzdgs27Congress has installed the Jan. 6 plaque, but in a location that visitors are barred from entering (and would apparently be ejected from the building if they went there). So, our litigation continues. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-police-responders-ask-judge-to-let-lawsuit-over-plaque-in-capitol-proceed/11 Mar 2026 19:54 +0000at://did:plc:btesn4khlsfdaowcsc4gx4lt/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgso3gzdgs27