_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

Shortly after he returned to the White House, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders stripping security clearances from certain law firms and banning them from government business. Though his reasons vary, each of the firms, in one way or another, has crossed him over the course of his political career.

The targeted entities are part of an informal group called “Big Law,” which often have high-powered lawyers on staff and are worth billions of dollars. Government contracts and their security clearances are often key to making their money — meaning Trump’s actions could cost them millions.

_THE FACTS_

  • One Big Law firm, Perkins Coie — which has over one billion dollars in gross revenue — was targeted for its hiring of Fusion GPS (of “Steele Dossier” fame) and for working with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

  • Perkins Coie is fighting back in court, arguing that the executive order is capricious and an attack on the legal profession.

  • Other law firms are instead trying to work with Trump in order to get him to undo his orders.

  • Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP — which includes on its team former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff — offered Trump $100 million in pro-bono work if he agreed to drop his threat. The firm had aided a defamation suit against Rudy Giuliani, a Trump ally.

  • Another, Paul Weiss, agreed to perform $40 million in free work after Trump signed an executive order against them, saying they had “played an outsized role in undermining the judicial process and in the destruction of bedrock American principles.”

  • The order also discussed how one of their partners worked in Robert Mueller’s investigation against Trump.

  • One law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, did not even wait for Trump to target them and, like Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, offered $100 million in pro-bono work preemptively to avoid any executive orders. The firm is the fifth largest grossing in the world.

  • The mainstream media has reacted furiously to the capitulation of the law firms, with The Atlantic calling them “cowardly” and “pathetic.” Some employees have threatened to quit in protest. The New Yorker suggested it could damage the entire legal profession.

_INSIGHTS_

Trump has targeted other individuals, like former anti-Trump intelligence operatives, by taking away their security clearances. Security clearances can be financially valuable, enabling individuals and firms to consult on matters involving classified or confidential material. Limiting that access, as may likely be Trump’s goal, threatens to significantly reduce the firms’ marketability and influence.

While firms like Perkins Coie played a key role in the Steele Dossier — which was used to hound Trump for years — they historically faced little formal pushback from either party. The Trump administration’s recent actions mark a new effort to curb the influence of politically engaged, highly powerful legal entities that have frequently aligned with the interests of the Democratic Party.

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Jim Harmon1 year ago

"... capricious and an attack on the legal profession." I assume they mean the same legal profession that brought more law suits against the President than one can count. The same profession that allowed Alvin Bragg take a misdemeanor case and turn into a felony and the judge that found the President guilty of 37 felonies. The same profession that has unelected lower court judges blocking every part of the President's agenda, hold the country hostage by capricious injunctions. Seems to me a complete revamping of our justice system is long overdue. Perhaps AG Bondi can work toward that end.

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Penny Boatright1 year ago

Seems to me that Perkins Coie was involved in election interference, as well as defamation of character.

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Mike Minicucci1 year ago

Offering "free work in exchange for security clearances" sounds exactly like "attempted bribery" to me.

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Patricia Kelly1 year ago

It is entirely appropriate for President Trump to take action against corrupt entities including some who participated in 'lawfare" against him. He does have a fine line to walk though, as revenge for revenge's sake is a serious misuse of his presidential power.

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sharon smith1 year ago

Security clearance is a big deal, opening doors to Lawfare individuals that can gather info. that would be altered and spun differently to the media in a play to use against Trump and his allies. He must do this to stop them in their tracks. And now, we are seeing that this tactic is working well. Who doesn't want 'free' probono work? (; This move might also clear out the rogue media, ensuring more truth from their "news". I'm loving every move he makes!

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Bruce Margolis1 year ago

Dump all of them. There are plenty of conservative law firms that could take their place.

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Scott Connell1 year ago

High level security clearances are expensive to obtain and maintain. In the "real world", when you leave a job that involves classified information, you loose your clearance, it's not something that you can take with. So why in the hell do these people get to hang-on to their security clearances even when not directly employed by the government???? more government stupidity at work...

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