Two law firms that Trump filed lawsuits against executive orders trying to punish them
WASHINGTON – The White House sued two prominent White House law firms on Friday for nearly the same execution order, overturning punishments designed to punish them for dating lawyers who had previously investigated President Donald Trump.
Federal complaints filed by Jenner and Wilmerhale and Wilmerhale urged judges to block the execution of the orders seeking other sanctions to suspend security permits for corporate attorneys and restrict access to federal buildings. The orders, the companies said in the lawsuit, are part of similar actions Trump has taken in the past month, constitute an attack on the foundations of the legal system and an unconstitutional form of presidential retaliation.
“Our constitution prohibits the government from attempting to punish citizens and lawyers based on the clients they represent, the positions they advocate, the opinions they express, and the people they interact with,” Jenner & Block’s complaint, filed in a federal court in Washington.
The companies said orders in the past few days have affected their business, Jenner and Bullock said the Justice Department has notified a client that the company cannot hold meetings in the building next week.
“So, the client either needs to attend the meeting without an outside lawyer or need to retain a new outside lawyer by April 3,” the lawsuit said.
Targeted law firms have taken different approaches to promote executive orders that disrupt their business models and relax their legal practices. In addition to the two prosecuted Friday, Perkins Coie’s law firm challenged Trump’s orders and successfully allowed the judge to temporarily block law enforcement. By contrast, Paul Weiss, a deal with the White House after being targeted, said the order presented the company with a “survival crisis” and he was not sure it would survive a protracted battle with the Trump administration.
The executive order against Jenner & Block this week stemmed from Andrew Weissmann, the attorney that once hired Andrew Weissmann, who served on the team of special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Trump during his tenure. Weissman left the company four years ago.
Mueller has retired from Wilmerhale, but the White House executive order mentioned Thursday that he and another retired partner and a current partner, both of whom had served on Mueller’s team.
“While most lawsuits require the discovery of motives of retaliation, the order is unsecretly intended to punish Wilmer Hale’s past and current representatives before the U.S. court, and links to Mr. Mueller’s views expressed as special counsel,”
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