Political Probe

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As President Trump faces an impeachment inquiry for asking the Ukrainian president to investigate political rival Joe Biden, the White House is denying access to key witnesses and documents. Will the move to stonewall Congress lead to an obstruction charge? How will the proceedings affect the 2020 election? And what will the long term effects be for both Republicans and Democrats?

Hofstra experts who can address different aspects of this complicated issue include:

--James Sample, an expert on constitutional law, who was featured in a Business Insider story examining the legal issues at play in President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.

--Meena Bose, political science professor and presidential studies scholar, who spoke with the Washington Post about President Trump's attempts to sway the public narrative about the Democrats' impeachment inquiry against him.

--Mark Lukasiewicz, veteran television executive and dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, who was most recently quoted in The New York Times and Variety about the challenges that news organizations now face in live coverage of the Trump administration.

--Grant Saff, professor and chair of the Department of Global Studies and Geography, who was a guest on WSHU Public Radio’s talk show, “The Full Story.” He was part of a conversation that covered a number of important issues including the Ukrainian crisis.

Connect with:

James Sample

Professor of Law

Professor Sample regularly comments on voting rights and constitutional issues in leading media outlets.

The Supreme Court Voting RightsVoting Rights PolicyConstitutional LawJudicial Elections

Meena Bose

Professor of Political Science, Executive Dean for Public Policy & Public Service Programs

Dr. Meena Bose is Executive Dean of Hofstra University’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs

Presidential ElectionsPresidential CampaignsPresidential PoliticsPresidential History

Mark Lukasiewicz

Dean, The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication

Dean Lukasiewicz is a veteran producer, journalist, and media executive. Before joining Hofstra, he was SVP of specials at NBC News.

news platformsnews industryBroadcast NewsDigital MediaMedia Ethics

Find Experts

Aug 13, 2026

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Why Flash Flooding Is of Increased Local Concern

Jase Bernhardt, associate professor of geology, environment, and sustainability, was interviewed by Newsday about the increased risk of flash flooding on Long Island. The article explains that flash flooding is caused by heavy rainfall in a short period. It’s often caused by thunderstorms in the summer, when there’s more moisture in the air than in cooler months. It can happen anywhere across the region, as opposed to storm surge flooding, which mostly impacts low-lying coastal areas. Any change in the frequency of flash flooding on Long Island is also a function of the way water moves on the ground and ultimately of urbanization, Dr. Bernhardt said. “Poor drainage, sewer systems” and impervious surfaces like “parkways, parking lots” and other types of development all play a role.

Aug 11, 2026

1 min

Could President Trump’s Approval Ratings Rebound?

Newsweek interviewed Meena Bose, professor of political science, executive dean of the Public Policy and Public Service program, the Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies and director of the Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, about President Donald Trump’s falling approval ratings due to voter frustration over the economy and inflation. Dr. Bose told Newsweek that the long-term consequences of a president’s leadership and policies are “most significant” in determining their legacy. “A president’s long-term legacy for leadership and policy making is most important for determining historic favorability. The passage of time and the assessment of the totality of a presidency also can lead to more favorable ratings, or at least split ones in different policy or political areas, but this is no guarantee,” she said.

Aug 3, 2026

1 min

James Sample Authors Guest Essay in The New York Times

Professor James Sample of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law has published a guest essay in The New York Times examining a U.S. Supreme Court case that could reshape how courts interpret the Eighth Amendment’s Excessive Fines Clause. In the essay, Sample analyzes Jouppi v. Alaska, a case involving an Alaska pilot whose $95,000 airplane was ordered forfeited after a passenger transported a six-pack of beer to a dry village. He argues that the case gives the Supreme Court an opportunity to clarify when government-imposed financial penalties become so disproportionate that they violate the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines, reinforcing an important constitutional safeguard against excessive government power. The essay is the latest example of Sample’s national thought leadership on constitutional law, the Supreme Court, and the rule of law. Throughout the month, he has been a frequent legal analyst for leading national and regional media outlets, offering insight on major Supreme Court decisions, executive power, freedom of the press, immigration, election law, judicial ethics, and other pressing constitutional issues.