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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

Justices get second chance to strike balance between LGBTQ, First Amendment rights

The Supreme Court has already ordered Colorado's civil rights commission to give faith-based artists who object to same-sex marriage a fair hearing when deciding whether to fine them for refusing to work on same-sex ceremonies, but Colorado web designer Lorie Smith says it's time the justices go further.

December 1, 2022

Law firms could make billions off ailing vets’ Camp Lejeune lawsuits

You've seen and heard the TV and radio ads: Law firms encouraging ill veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune to seek monetary damages from the federal government over the base's contaminated water.

November 28, 2022

U.S. solicitor links schools’ racial preferences to military strength

As the Supreme Court's justices were sparring with each other last month over use of racial preferences in school admissions policies, the Biden administration's top litigator kept coming back to one point: Think of the troops.

November 27, 2022

RNC ramps up court action on voting laws after being shut out by Dems for 40 years

The Republican National Committee has been unleashed from a decades-old prohibition against participating in election law litigation, and it is now vigorously joining court action across the country to defend new voting laws in GOP-run states.

November 24, 2022

Term of engagement? Justices grapple with race, identity disputes

The Supreme Court has heard arguments for only 10 days so far in its 2022 term, but it already has considered at least four legal battles over racial discrimination -- suggesting the justices are grappling with issues about identity and culture like the rest of the country.

November 24, 2022

Court showdown looming on Elizabeth Warren’s Wall Street-policing agency

The Supreme Court has been asked to step into a thorny debate over whether Elizabeth Warren's idea of a Wall Street-policing agency is legal, potentially adding another major case to a docket already packed with affirmative action, voting and LGBTQ issues.

November 21, 2022

Justice Alito denies leaking results of 2014 Hobby Lobby ruling, report

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. denied Saturday a New York Times report alleging he leaked the results of the 2014 Hobby Lobby ruling, where the court said the feds couldn't mandate corporations cover contraception under the Affordable Care Act.

November 19, 2022

Lawsuit: Massachusetts secretly installed COVID-19 contact tracing app on mobile phones

Two men who own Android devices are suing the Massachusetts health department on behalf of millions of residents, accusing the agency of installing COVID-19 tracking software on their mobile phones without permission.

November 17, 2022

Obama judge shuts down Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ Act in colleges, calls it ‘dystopian’

A federal judge on Thursday blocked Florida's law that banned college and university professors from teaching elements of critical race theory, such as that one race is more privileged, superior or oppressive than another.

November 17, 2022

Dems’ control of Senate greenlights Biden judicial nominees

The Democrats' maintaining control over the Senate guarantees President Biden more opportunities to appoint judges, giving the federal bench a more liberal bent.

November 15, 2022

Judge shuts down Michael Cohen’s free speech lawsuit against Trump

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen alleging that the former president and other officials locked him in solitary confinement to keep him from promoting his book that criticizes Donald Trump.

November 15, 2022

Supreme Court allows House Jan. 6 committee to obtain Kelli Ward’s phone records

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to halt the House Jan. 6 committee from reviewing phone records for Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward.

November 14, 2022

D.C. attorney general case against NFL, Commanders ‘creative’ but unlikely to succeed: lawyers

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine's attempt to punish Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders for alleged sexual misconduct is innovative, but legal experts say it's unlikely to stand up in court.

November 13, 2022

Trump sues Jan. 6 committee, alleges violation of Constitutional rights over subpoena

President Trump sued the House's Jan. 6 committee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the panel's nine members on Friday, alleging their subpoena requiring him to answer lawmakers' questions about the attack on the U.S. Capitol runs afoul of the separation of powers.

November 11, 2022

Praying high school coach to return to football field in March, judge orders

The high school football coach who lost his job for praying on the 50-yard line after games will return to the field and the school in March, a federal judge ordered on Thursday.

November 11, 2022

Justice Barrett jests about pro-choice protesters outside her home

Justice Amy Coney Barrett poked fun at protesters who have appeared outside her home the past several months over the Supreme Court's abortion ruling.

November 11, 2022

Clinton-appointed judge sanctions Trump’s lawyers

A federal judge on Thursday issued sanctions against attorneys for former President Donald Trump, saying they made knowingly false allegations when filing a lawsuit against Democratic-aligned operatives over alleged conspiracies to spread false information about Russian collusion.

November 10, 2022

Supreme Court weighs case pitting non-Indian families against tribes over child adoptions

A group of foster families appeared before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, fighting to adopt Indian children over objections from tribes and the federal government, telling the justices that the federal law restricting their adoptions is discriminatory.

November 9, 2022

Boston to pay $2 million to Christian group for refusing to fly its Latin Cross flag at city hall

After five years of litigation, the city of Boston has agreed to pay more than $2 million to a Christian group after refusing to fly its flag over City Hall -- despite flying other flags communicating various messages throughout the years.

November 8, 2022

Judge halts key parts of New York’s concealed carry law

A federal judge on Monday blocked New York officials from enforcing several provisions of the state's new concealed carry law.

November 7, 2022

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Alex Swoyer

Seen, Heard & Whispered

The Sitdown with Alex Swoyer

Court Watch Podcast

Articles by Alex Swoyer

Justices get second chance to strike balance between LGBTQ, First Amendment rights

Law firms could make billions off ailing vets’ Camp Lejeune lawsuits

U.S. solicitor links schools’ racial preferences to military strength

RNC ramps up court action on voting laws after being shut out by Dems for 40 years

Term of engagement? Justices grapple with race, identity disputes

Court showdown looming on Elizabeth Warren’s Wall Street-policing agency

Justice Alito denies leaking results of 2014 Hobby Lobby ruling, report

Lawsuit: Massachusetts secretly installed COVID-19 contact tracing app on mobile phones

Obama judge shuts down Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ Act in colleges, calls it ‘dystopian’

Dems’ control of Senate greenlights Biden judicial nominees

Judge shuts down Michael Cohen’s free speech lawsuit against Trump

Supreme Court allows House Jan. 6 committee to obtain Kelli Ward’s phone records

D.C. attorney general case against NFL, Commanders ‘creative’ but unlikely to succeed: lawyers

Trump sues Jan. 6 committee, alleges violation of Constitutional rights over subpoena

Praying high school coach to return to football field in March, judge orders

Justice Barrett jests about pro-choice protesters outside her home

Clinton-appointed judge sanctions Trump’s lawyers

Supreme Court weighs case pitting non-Indian families against tribes over child adoptions

Boston to pay $2 million to Christian group for refusing to fly its Latin Cross flag at city hall

Judge halts key parts of New York’s concealed carry law