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Holding The Line

Holding The Line

By: Jason Johnson and Sean Kennedy
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Holding the Line is a podcast from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund sharing firsthand stories and expert insights into what it really means to serve and protect in America today.

2025 Jason Johnson and Sean Kennedy
Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Aftermath of Obama's War on Cops: The East Haven Four (Part Two)
    Mar 17 2026

    Part 2: After the Verdict

    This is the second part of our in depth interview with former East Haven police officer Dennis Spaulding—one of four officers indicted by the Obama DOJ in 2012 after he and his team uncovered a massive illegal immigrant fraud network using illegal license plates and insisted on doing their jobs—enforcing the law—in their small Connecticut town.

    Last week the first part of this interview clearly struck a nerve.

    We heard from so many of you—predominantly new listeners who were shocked by the story, who had never heard of the case... and who want to know what happened next!

    This conversation has been one of our most anticipated follow-ups yet. Today in part two we pick up where that story left off: The activist priest who interfered with his duties, the trial... and Dennis takes us inside his time in federal prison—what he experienced, how he endured it, and the personal toll it took on him and his family.

    He reflects on what it’s like to go from serving your community as a police officer to serving time as a federal inmate—when his youngest daughter was a newborn.

    We also explore the aftermath of the case: what happened to the East Haven Police Department—and how this prosecution continues to impact him and his fellow officers to this day.

    Finally, we zoom out to the bigger picture: What a pardon by President Trump would mean for these men and their families.

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    19 mins
  • Aftermath of Obama's War on Cops: The East Haven Four (Part One)
    Mar 11 2026

    Former East Haven, Connecticut police officer Dennis Spaulding joins us to share his horrifying story—and it's you’ve likely never heard.

    In 2012, the Obama DOJ indicted four officers from the East Haven Police Department—Dennis Spaulding, John Miller, David Cari, and Jason Zullo—after a federal investigation into allegations that members of the department had violated the civil rights of Latino residents.

    This was nothing but a politically motivated prosecution fueled by anti-police activism and federal pressure to make an example out of a small police department enforcing immigration laws.

    These men were not corrupt. They were not rogue actors. They were committed, decorated professionals engaged in the unglamorous work of enforcing the law in a community plagued by fraudulent vehicle registrations, gang activity, and illegal enterprises. Yet because many of those arrested happened to be undocumented immigrants, the DOJ sought to brand the entire department as racist.

    Spaulding was sentenced to five years in federal prison, a punishment he and many supporters say was wildly disproportionate and the result of a case driven more by politics than justice.

    In this interview, Spaulding shares his side of the story for the first time in depth—and his hopes that President Trump will issue him and his fellow officers a pardon that will allow them to move on with their lives.

    Coming Next: In Part 2, we discuss the aftermath of the trial, Spaulding’s time in federal prison, and the broader questions his case raises about federal civil rights prosecutions of police officers.

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    40 mins
  • Sheriff Mike Chapman: Leadership Under Pressure in Loudoun County, Virginia
    Mar 6 2026

    Leftwing activists have been targeting Sheriff Mike Chapman of Loudoun County, Virginia over his support of School Resource Officers for elementary schools in the district... but the slogans they're screaming don't make any sense.

    The Sheriff joins the podcast to discuss the unique aspects of law enforcement in his jurisdiction, give insights on school security and safety, and so much more.

    Sheriff Mike Chapman has devoted a lifetime to law enforcement. His book Step Up and Lead addresses the ups and downs leaders face, examples of what works and what doesn't, and how his unique "Step Up" strategy of improved Service, Technology, Efficiency, and Professionalism can help you succeed in your own organization.

    Get your copy here: https://stepupandleadbook.com

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    38 mins
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These are definitely not stories we are getting from mainstream news. Powerful—and terrifying what these men have gone through.

Underreported stories

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