Author profile

Follow author updates

Alex Swoyer

Alex Swoyer serves as The Washington Times' editor-at-large, covering law and politics in Washington. Alex leads "The Sitdown with Alex Swoyer" and her column, "Seen, Heard & Whispered," where she interviews officials and discusses the latest political noise echoing through the nation's capital.
She also hosts a podcast, "Court Watch," showcasing high-stakes legal battles. She has covered presidential campaigns, Capitol Hill, and the Supreme Court for more than a decade.
Originally from Texas, Alex left the Lone Star State to attend the Missouri School of Journalism where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast.
After graduating from Ave Maria School of Law in Florida, she decided to leave the courtroom and return to the newsroom with The Washington Times.
She can be reached by email at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.

Seen, Heard & Whispered

Written by Alex Swoyer, "Seen, Heard & Whispered” is a weekly column taking you inside the conversations happening in Washington’s power corridors, the moves being made and the whispers that explain what’s really going on in the nation’s capital. Email tips to whispered@washingtontimes.com

Click here to receive Seen, Heard & Whispered in your inbox every Friday.

The Sitdown with Alex Swoyer

Washington Times' Editor-at-Large Alex Swoyer dives into political and legal news with lawmakers, administration officials and politicos inside Washington.

Court Watch Podcast

The 'Court Watch' podcast breaks down the Supreme Court's major cases and top news stories about the justices, federal courts and perplexing legal battles with key insight from court watchers from both sides of the aisle.

Articles by Alex Swoyer

Joe Walsh announces Trump primary challenge

Joe Walsh, a former tea party member of Congress, announced Sunday he will challenge President Trump in the Republican presidential primaries, calling on other party members to "be brave" and say what he claims they all know -- that the president is "nuts," "erratic" and unfit for office.

August 25, 2019

Ruth Bader Ginsburg treated for malignant tumor

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone a three week radiation therapy treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas, the Supreme Court announced Friday.

August 23, 2019

Court says film company has First Amendment rights in wedding video industry

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that two Minnesota wedding videographers can challenge the state's public accommodations law that they say would force them to have to make videos for same-sex couples, against their own beliefs.

August 23, 2019

Boise asks Supreme Court to OK ban on homeless camps on city property

Lawyers for Boise asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn a lower court ruling on homeless encampments, arguing cities across the west will lose control of their homeless situations if they can't impose criminal penalties on lawbreakers.

August 22, 2019

Sheldon Whitehouse practicing law on an inactive license: Watchdog

A conservative watchdog group accused Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of practicing law on an inactive license after he filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court last week in a key gun-rights case.

August 19, 2019

Steven Menashi, Trump judicial nominee, opposed by CAIR

A prominent Muslim group called for President Trump to withdraw an appeals court pick they deemed "racist" for defending Israel as a Jewish state in a law review article years ago.

August 18, 2019

Supreme Court to hear case of suspended license driver’s traffic stop

Charles Glover Jr. was driving on a suspended license when he was pulled over by a sheriff's deputy in Kansas in 2016. But he says there's no way the deputy knew that he was the driver when the deputy made the stop. The state's top court agreed, ruling the stop illegal. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is about to get involved, with the case on tap for the justices' next term.

August 14, 2019

House lawmakers pressured to reform USA PATRIOT Act data collection

A liberal-led coalition of groups demanded Wednesday that Congress allow part of the Patriot Act to expire later this year, building pressure on House Democrats who will have to decide how much of the law to renew.

August 14, 2019

Sheldon Whitehouse warns Supreme Court not to hear gun case

A Senate Democrat warned the Supreme Court this week not to hear a case involving a New York City gun control law, saying the GOP-appointed majority is too tainted to deliver a valid ruling.

August 13, 2019

Trump, McConnell raise funds with ‘Back to Back Supreme Court Champs’ T-shirt

President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are selling T-shirts to "drive liberals crazy," featuring the two Supreme Court nominees the president appointed in a joint fundraising effort for their 2020 campaigns.

August 13, 2019

Detroit police use of facial recognition violates privacy, leads to false arrests, ACLU says

Legal scholars say police departments considering the use of facial recognition tools should think twice given Supreme Court rulings curtailing warrantless tracking with high-tech machinery.

August 11, 2019

High school bathroom policy violates transgender student’s rights, court rules

A federal judge ruled Friday a Virginia school district violated a transgender student's rights by not permitting the student to use the bathroom correlated with his gender identity.

August 9, 2019

Ninth Circuit upholds class action against Facebook’s facial recognition

A class action lawsuit against Facebook over its use of facial recognition technology may go forward, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

August 8, 2019

Federal appeals court rules county seal with Latin Cross can stay

The focal point of the official seal of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, is a Latin cross -- and that's perfectly fine, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, saying it does not constitute an entanglement between church and state.

August 8, 2019

Rebecca Cartellone IVF mixup leads to lawsuit of fertility center

Rebecca Cartellone was surprised to receive a DNA kit for Christmas last year but never expected the shocking finding that her dad was not her biological father.

August 7, 2019

House Democrats request Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s White House records for review

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler asked the National Archives Tuesday to provide his committee with records related to Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh's time working in the White House for President George W. Bush.

August 6, 2019

Campaign Legal Center files suit against Federal Election Commission, wants pro-Clinton PAC punished

The Campaign Legal Center has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission, asking a judge to order commissioners to punish a political action committee accused of illegally coordinating its activities with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

August 5, 2019