The Bates File https://judgejohnbates.com/ A sourced critical briefing on Senior Judge John D. Bates. Facts are cited. Opinion is marked. A preliminary injunction is not a Supreme Court holding. en-us Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:00:00 -0000 He Was Starr’s Deputy Independent Counsel. That Title Is Not a Trump-War Finding. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/whitewater.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/whitewater.html Sun, 01 Jan 1995 18:00:00 -0000 Deputy Independent Counsel, Whitewater, 1995–mid-1997. Starr detail. The Senate Confirmed Him 97–0. That Vote Is Not a Lifetime Shield. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/senate-confirmation.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/senate-confirmation.html Tue, 11 Dec 2001 18:00:00 -0000 Confirmed 97–0 to D.D.C. PN906, 107th Congress. Commission December 14, 2001. Roberts Put Him on the FISA Court. He Left in 2013. He Did Not Sign the Page Warrants. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/fisc-term.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/fisc-term.html Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:00:00 -0000 FISC 2006–2013, presiding 2009–2013. He did not sign the Page warrants. October 2011: His FISC Opinion Found NSA Upstream Collection Deficient. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/fisc-702.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/fisc-702.html Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:00:00 -0000 October 3, 2011 FISC opinion: NSA upstream collection deficient. Roberts Made Him Director of the Administrative Office. Then He Went Back to the Bench. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/aousc.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/aousc.html Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:00:00 -0000 AOUSC Director July 1, 2013–January 1, 2015. Roberts appointment. October 12, 2014: He Took Senior Status. He Did Not Leave the D.C. Docket. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/senior-status.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/senior-status.html Sun, 12 Oct 2014 18:00:00 -0000 Senior status October 12, 2014. He stayed on the D.C. docket. April 24, 2018: He Vacated Trump’s DACA Rescission as Arbitrary and Capricious. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/daca.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/daca.html Tue, 24 Apr 2018 18:00:00 -0000 NAACP v. Trump: vacated DACA rescission as arbitrary and capricious. February 2019: He Said He Had Seen Nothing Showing the FISA Court Was Misled on Page. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/page-defense.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/page-defense.html Sat, 16 Feb 2019 18:00:00 -0000 Lawfare podcast: he had seen nothing showing the FISA court was misled on Page. September 2019: He Expected a “Very Fair” Horowitz Report. Then the Report Landed. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/horowitz-expect.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/horowitz-expect.html Sat, 28 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0000 He expected a very fair Horowitz report. Bates did not write the report. He Chaired the Judiciary’s Standing Committee on the Rules. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/standing-committee.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/standing-committee.html Wed, 01 Jan 2020 18:00:00 -0000 Civil Rules chair 2015–2020; Standing Committee chair from 2020. February 2025: He Denied TROs Aimed at Blocking DOGE Data Access. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/doge-tro.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/doge-tro.html Fri, 14 Feb 2025 18:00:00 -0000 AFL-CIO v. DOL: denied TROs against DOGE data access. H.Res. 157 Introduced Articles. Introduction Is Not a House Vote. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/hres-157.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/hres-157.html Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:00:00 -0000 H.Res. 157, 119th Congress. Introduced February 24, 2025, by Rep. Andy Ogles. Referred to Judiciary. Status INTRODUCED. Not a House vote. The Judiciary Gave Him the 2025 Devitt Award. An Award Is Not a Case. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/devitt.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/devitt.html Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0000 2025 Devitt Award. An award is not a case. May 20, 2026: He Enjoined White House Staff on the Presidential Records Act. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/pra-injunction.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/pra-injunction.html Wed, 20 May 2026 18:00:00 -0000 PRA preliminary injunction against specified Executive Office defendants. The Columns Covered Him. The Gaps Are Listed. https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/commentary-file.html https://judgejohnbates.com/posts/commentary-file.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:00:00 -0000 Always-check coverage log. Gaps listed. No invented clips.