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

Oct 22, 2026

1 min

Credibility a Must for White House Press Secretary Role

Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, talked to Newsday about Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure as White House press secretary. He explained that the person in that challenging role needs to have a high level of credibility with the press. “It is a tough job, but successful press secretaries – and there have been several in the two Trump administrations – I think take a different approach, which is not the kind of bumbling approach that this press secretary took,” Lukasiewicz said. “You have to have a very deep command of the facts and policies of the president … so we’ll see who’s next in line.”

Oct 15, 2026

1 min

People Likely to Turn to Influencers for Fitness and Nutrition Information

Martine Hackett, associate professor and chair of population health, spoke with Newsday about health and wellness advice disseminated by social media influencers. People looking to make a lifestyle change are likely to look at posts by influencers. Dr. Martine Hackett, chair of the population health department at Hofstra University, said posts from these influencers can be helpful to people looking for detailed wellness information that they might not be able to get at a routine office visit with their doctor. “You can go for your annual health checkup, but if you are younger and don’t have a chronic disease, you might be told to exercise, but they don’t have the time to tell you how,” she said. “And you may not be able to go to a nutritionist or a trainer.”

Oct 7, 2026

1 min

Auction of LI’s Oheka Castle Draws Bidders with Big Dreams

Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, spoke to Newsday about the auction of Long Island’s Oheka Castle, which will take place later this month in Manhattan. The property has been called “a real-life Gatsby estate” and “one of the rarest trophy properties in the country.” Buyers could include hedge funds interested in developing condos, a boutique hotel chain or a catering company. “It would be broadly appealing once the economic backdrop improves in terms of being able to borrow to finance construction and purchasing,” Levy said.