Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is powerlineblog.com legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns powerlineblog.com?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for powerlineblog.com. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
The site's bot protection blocked AboutUs's HTTPS check; all 1 of the other checks passed (Oct 31, 2026).
Registered 2003 · AboutUs's live check was blocked by the site's bot protection
Power Line is a political commentary blog written by lawyer John Hinderaker and former law partner Scott Johnson. For more than ten years, they have published analysis on public policy issues including taxes, campaign finance, affirmative action, and criminal justice, with articles appearing in National Review and other publications.
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 23 years ago · on AboutUs since 2007 · one registrar since Dec 29, 2011 · 2 ownership changes since 2007 · last checked Oct 31, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredJan 28, 2003powerlineblog.com was registered on Jan 28, 2003.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 21, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageMar 10, 2007 – Nov 6, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described powerlineblog.com from Mar 10, 2007 to Nov 6, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
GoDaddy.com, LLCGoDaddy.com, LLCDec 29, 2011 – Oct 31, 2026 (latest)Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 29, 2011 and most recently on Oct 31, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 21, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsMay 15, 2007 – May 18, 2026Registration records for powerlineblog.com are held from May 15, 2007 to May 18, 2026 (167 records). 2 changes of registrant name or organization are marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Zone file
Nameservers: softlayer.comOct 21, 2008 – Jun 12, 2012Registration records listed softlayer.com nameservers (ns1.softlayer.com, ns2.softlayer.com) for powerlineblog.com from Oct 21, 2008 to Jun 12, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Sectigo LimitedApr 4, 2026 – Jul 3, 2026Sectigo Limited issued 2 certificates for powerlineblog.com from Apr 4, 2026, the latest valid until Jul 3, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
20052010201520202025Apr ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (19)
Jan 28, 2003Registration: powerlineblog.com was registered on Jan 28, 2003.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 21, 2026
Mar 10, 2007 – Nov 6, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described powerlineblog.com from Mar 10, 2007 to Nov 6, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
May 15, 2007 – May 18, 2026Ownership: Registration records for powerlineblog.com are held from May 15, 2007 to May 18, 2026 (167 records). 2 changes of registrant name or organization are marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jul 1, 2007AboutUs record: “is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. For more than ten years Hinderaker has written with his former law partner Scott Johnson on public policy issues including income inequality, income taxes, campaign fin…”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Jun 17, 2008Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jun 17, 2008. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Automated safety checks
DNS (passed)
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Jan 28, 2003 — 23 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: GoDaddy.com, LLC — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Oct 31, 2026).
checked Sep 30, 2026
The live front page reads as a personal site or blog that publishes free content supported by ads, mainly for a general audience.
“is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. For more than ten years Hinderaker has written with his former law partner Scott Johnson on public policy issues including income inequality, income taxes, campaign fin…”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2007
Current AboutUs recordJun 18, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 21, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Ownership change
Jun 17, 2008
The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Jun 17, 2008. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Ownership changeOct 21, 2008The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Oct 21, 2008. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
2 ownership changes, 2007–2026
Nameservers: stabletransit.com
Sep 10, 2012 – Oct 17, 2013
Registration records listed stabletransit.com nameservers (dns1.stabletransit.com) for powerlineblog.com from Sep 10, 2012 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
DNS moved to stabletransit.comSep 10, 2012powerlineblog.com's nameservers moved from softlayer.com to stabletransit.com at some point between Jun 12, 2012 and Sep 10, 2012. Last seen at softlayer.com: Jun 12, 2012 (registration record). First seen at stabletransit.com: Sep 10, 2012 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 3 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Nameservers: stabletransit.comOct 18, 2013 – Mar 27, 2015stabletransit.com (dns1.stabletransit.com, dns2.stabletransit.com) were the nameservers listed for powerlineblog.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Mar 27, 2015 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Nameservers: CloudflareSep 23, 2015 – Apr 3, 2018Cloudflare (chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com) were the nameservers listed for powerlineblog.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Sep 23, 2015 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
DNS moved to CloudflareSep 23, 2015powerlineblog.com's nameservers moved from stabletransit.com to Cloudflare at some point between Mar 27, 2015 and Sep 23, 2015. Last seen at stabletransit.com: Mar 27, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). First seen at Cloudflare: Sep 23, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 6 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (ICANN zone-file snapshot → ICANN zone-file snapshot)
Nameservers: CloudflareNameservers: CloudflareApr 4, 2018 – May 18, 2026Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com) for powerlineblog.com from Apr 4, 2018 to May 18, 2026. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Seen in the .com zone fileSep 8, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026 (latest)First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Oct 31, 2026. Nameservers on Oct 31, 2026: chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Oct 31, 2026
Google Trust Services
Apr 23, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026
Google Trust Services issued 10 certificates for powerlineblog.com from Apr 23, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 15, 2027.
Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Let's EncryptMay 6, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Let's Encrypt issued 18 certificates for powerlineblog.com from May 6, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 28, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Oct 21, 2008
Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Oct 21, 2008. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Oct 21, 2008 – Jun 12, 2012Zone file: Registration records listed softlayer.com nameservers (ns1.softlayer.com, ns2.softlayer.com) for powerlineblog.com from Oct 21, 2008 to Jun 12, 2012.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Dec 29, 2011 – Oct 31, 2026Registrar: Registrar GoDaddy.com, LLC (IANA 146) in the registration data recorded, first on Dec 29, 2011 and most recently on Oct 31, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 21, 2026
Sep 10, 2012 – Oct 17, 2013Zone file: Registration records listed stabletransit.com nameservers (dns1.stabletransit.com) for powerlineblog.com from Sep 10, 2012 to Oct 17, 2013. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Sep 10, 2012Zone file: powerlineblog.com's nameservers moved from softlayer.com to stabletransit.com at some point between Jun 12, 2012 and Sep 10, 2012. Last seen at softlayer.com: Jun 12, 2012 (registration record). First seen at stabletransit.com: Sep 10, 2012 (registration record). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 3 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (registration record → registration record)
Oct 18, 2013 – Mar 27, 2015Zone file: stabletransit.com (dns1.stabletransit.com, dns2.stabletransit.com) were the nameservers listed for powerlineblog.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Oct 18, 2013 to Mar 27, 2015 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Sep 23, 2015 – Apr 3, 2018Zone file: Cloudflare (chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com) were the nameservers listed for powerlineblog.com at every ICANN zone-file snapshot AboutUs holds from Sep 23, 2015 to Apr 3, 2018 (snapshots exist for only part of 2013–2018).Source: ICANN zone-file snapshots, 2013–2018 (legacy archive)
Sep 23, 2015Zone file: powerlineblog.com's nameservers moved from stabletransit.com to Cloudflare at some point between Mar 27, 2015 and Sep 23, 2015. Last seen at stabletransit.com: Mar 27, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). First seen at Cloudflare: Sep 23, 2015 (ICANN zone-file snapshot). AboutUs holds no nameserver records for the 6 months in between, so the date of the move is not known more closely.Source: Derived from the nameserver records on this lifeline (ICANN zone-file snapshot → ICANN zone-file snapshot)
Apr 4, 2018 – May 18, 2026Zone file: Registration records listed Cloudflare nameservers (chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com) for powerlineblog.com from Apr 4, 2018 to May 18, 2026. Days a zone file covers are shown from the zone file instead.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Apr 4, 2026 – Jul 3, 2026Certificate: Sectigo Limited issued 2 certificates for powerlineblog.com from Apr 4, 2026, the latest valid until Jul 3, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Apr 23, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Certificate: Google Trust Services issued 10 certificates for powerlineblog.com from Apr 23, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 15, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
May 6, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 18 certificates for powerlineblog.com from May 6, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 28, 2027.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader)
Jun 18, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 21, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Sep 8, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Zone file: First seen in the .com zone file records AboutUs holds on Sep 8, 2026; latest sighting Oct 31, 2026. Nameservers on Oct 31, 2026: chan.ns.cloudflare.com, vern.ns.cloudflare.com.Source: ICANN CZDS zone file, snapshot Oct 31, 2026
Authority & Safety, with the evidence
Authority 69/100— ahead of 69% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
69 is a percentile: higher than 69% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #54,658)+7
Verified continuity: 23.8 years (RDAP registration)+10
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+2
Calibration adjustment (published map)+12
Model score: 35/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 69/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 71 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 71 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
Missing DMARC (mild)
What powerlineblog.com said about itself, 2007
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2007
is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. For more than ten years Hinderaker has written with his former law partner Scott Johnson on public policy issues including income inequality, income taxes, campaign finance reform, affirmative action, welfare reform, and race in the criminal justice system. Both Hinderaker and Johnson are fellows of the Claremont Institute.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date; self-description below is the 2013 record.
2003
Domain registered (Jan 28, 2003).
2007
First tracked by AboutUs (Mar 10, 2007); profile edited 2 times through 2013.
2013
Self-description at the time:
“PowErlineBlog.com - Conservative political blog from a group of attorneys”
2026
Checked today — The site's bot protection blocked AboutUs's HTTPS check; all 1 of the other checks passed (Oct 31, 2026).
✓ domain continuity 23 years registered– live check blocked the site's bot protection turned the check away Oct 31, 2026