Latest news with #AndrewWeissmann
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-Prosecutor Says This Ruling Just Helped Americans 'Connect The Dots' On Trump
Ex-prosecutor Andrew Weissmann on Friday reacted to a federal judge striking down President Donald Trump's executive order targeting law firm Jenner & Block because the order violated the First Amendment. 'It allows people to connect the dots,' said Weissmann, who was previously employed by the law firm and served as a prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller's team as it investigated the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates — a George W. Bush appointee — wrote in his ruling that Trump's order 'makes no bones about why it chose its target,' adding that 'it picked Jenner because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed.' Friday's ruling marks the second time in a matter of weeks that a judge has foiled Trump's attempts to retaliate against a major law firm whose work he's not a fan of. Severallaw firms have opted to kiss the president's ring by striking deals with him in hopes of avoiding similar executive orders targeting them, leading a number of law associatesas well as top partners to abandon ship as a result. Weissmann — a legal pundit and a notable critic of the president — told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace that he loves Bates' ruling while tying the decision to the administration's battle with Harvard University. A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from barring the university's enrollment of foreign students. 'And what is the main ground? First Amendment violation,' said Weissmann of the Harvard ruling. 'And so you're going to see this over and over again.' He stressed that it's 'very important' for Americans not to see the Trump administration's retaliatory acts as 'isolated' events. 'This is sort of remarkable,' he said. 'The United States government repeatedly being found to have violated the First Amendment in really significant ways — attacking a major firm, a series of major law firms and Harvard University.' H/T: Raw Story Trade War Trump Rages: Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs On EU And 25% Penalties On Smart Phones Judge Slams Trump Administration's Retaliation, Blocks Executive Order Against Major Law Firm GOP Tax Bill Touts 'Trump Accounts' Giving $1000 To Newborns — But Experts Say It Wouldn't Do Much For Parents
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
US judge overturns Trump order targeting major law firm Jenner & Block
A US judge on Friday overturned Donald Trump's executive order targeting Jenner & Block, a big law firm that employed a lawyer who investigated him. Trump's executive order, called Addressing Risks from Jenner & Block, suspended security clearances for the firm's lawyers and restricted their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. Trump accused the law firm of engaging in activities that 'undermine justice and the interests of the United States', claiming that it participated in politically driven legal actions. In the executive order, Trump specifically criticized the firm for hiring Andrew Weissmann, an attorney who worked on Robert Mueller's investigation into allegations of Russian influence in Trump's 2016 campaign. The firm sued to block Trump's order, arguing it violated the constitution's first and fifth amendments. US district judge John D Bates ruled on Friday that Trump's directive violated core rights under the US constitution, mirroring a 2 May ruling that struck down a similar executive order against law firm Perkins Coie. Bates did not mince words when calling a Trump executive order unconstitutional, which sought to target Jenner & Block. Trump's order, Bates wrote, 'makes no bones about why it chose its target: it picked Jenner because of the causes Jenner champions, the clients Jenner represents, and a lawyer Jenner once employed'. 'Going after law firms in this way is doubly violative of the constitution,' Bates said. The justice department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The administration can appeal Bates' order to the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. Trump signed an executive order in March, targeting Jenner & Block by suspending security clearances and restricting their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. This was, Trump claimed, because of politically motivated 'lawfare' the firm engaged in. By attempting to push forward this executive order, Trump attempted to 'chill legal representation the administration doesn't like, thereby insulating the executive branch from the judicial check fundamental to the separation of powers'. Bates added that the Trump executive orders against law firms 'follow the same recipe: other than personalized touches in their first sections, they generally direct the same adverse actions towards each firm and decry the threat each firm poses to national security and the national interest'. Bates was appointed to the District of Columbia in 2001 by George W Bush. He blocked Trump's executive order completely. Apart from Jenner and Perkins Coie, two other firms – WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey – have sued the Trump administration to permanently block executive orders he issued against them. Nine law firms, including Paul Weiss, Milbank, Simpson Thacher and Skadden Arps, have pledged nearly $1bn in free legal services to causes the White House supports and made other concessions to avoid being targeted by Trump. The justice department has defended Trump's executive orders against Jenner and other law firms as consistent with the broad reach of presidential authority. Reuters contributed reporting
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘First step to being vindicated': Judge blocks Trump Administration latest attack on Harvard
Andrew Weissmann, former top prosecutor for the Justice Department joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to a federal judge blocking the Trump Administration's efforts to stop Harvard from being able to enroll international students, and what comes next in a fight that the Trump Administration will be unwilling to let go.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US judge strikes down Trump order against law firm Jenner & Block
May 23 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday overturned President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Jenner & Block, dealing another setback to his administration's crackdown on prominent law firms that represented Trump's political adversaries or employed lawyers who investigated him in the past. Trump's order had suspended security clearances for Jenner's lawyers and restricted their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. U.S. District Judge John Bates, a Republican appointee, ruled that the directive violated core rights under the U.S. Constitution, mirroring a May 2 ruling that struck down a similar executive order against law firm Perkins Coie. The Justice Department can appeal Bates' order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Trump's order against Jenner accused the firm of engaging in what it described as partisan "lawfare" and taking on cases that undermined U.S. interests. It referred to the firm's past employment of Andrew Weissmann, a top federal prosecutor involved in former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed Russian contacts with Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has called the Russia investigation a "hoax" and a "witch hunt." The order also attacked Jenner's internal diversity policies and its work providing free legal services on matters including transgender rights and protections for immigrants. Jenner sued to block Trump's order, arguing it violated the Constitution's First Amendment protections against government abridgment of speech and Fifth Amendment guarantee of due process, a requirement for the government to use a fair legal process. Apart from Jenner and Perkins Coie, two other firms - WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey - have sued the administration to permanently block executive orders he issued against them. Nine law firms, including Paul Weiss, Milbank, Simpson Thacher and Skadden Arps, have pledged nearly $1 billion in free legal services to causes the White House supports and made other concessions to avoid being targeted by Trump. The Justice Department has defended Trump's executive orders against Jenner and other law firms as consistent with the broad reach of presidential authority.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo the latest to be targeted by Trump's Justice Department
Basil Smikle, Columbia University Professor and Andrew Weissmann, former top prosecutor at the Justice Department join Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to the latest episode of the weaponization of the Trump Justice Department with the DOJ opening an investigation into former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, just months after the same department dismissed federal charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who is a political opponent of Cuomo in the next NYC mayoral election.
