Latest news with #Democratic-linked
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration seeks to disqualify judge in law firm case
By Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration on Friday asked the federal judge overseeing a challenge to Trump's executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie to step aside from the case, accusing her of a "pattern of hostility" toward the president. Justice Department lawyers said U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell's impartiality might "reasonably be questioned." They cited her past rulings against Trump and remarks in cases against his supporters arising from the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. "This Court has not kept its disdain for President Trump secret," the lawyers wrote in a court filing. "It has voiced its thoughts loudly—both inside and outside the courtroom." Howell last week temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing much of its order against Democratic-linked Perkins Coie, finding it likely violated the U.S. Constitution. The Trump administration has escalated its criticism of federal judges in recent weeks as courts have at times sought to rein in Trump's expansive use of presidential power.
CNN
13-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
Judge temporarily blocks part of Trump's executive order against prominent Democratic Party-tied law firm Perkins Coie
A federal judge on Wednesday halted parts of President Donald Trump's executive order that targeted a Democratic-linked law firm. US District Judge Beryl Howell sided with the firm Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has been involved in election litigation that Trump opposed. Howell granted the firm's request for a temporary restraining order for some sections of Trump's order. The parts being blocked include its limitations on government contracts with clients of the firm and the potential restrictions it puts on the firm's employees, such as bans on hiring those employees for government positions or barring their access to federal buildings. The executive order, Howell said as she read her opinion in court for more than 30 minutes, is 'a punishment for a singled-out entity being disloyal.' When 'the Queen of Hearts yells 'off with their heads' for her subjects,' Howell added, that 'cannot be the reality we are living under.' The judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said the case also touches on larger tests of Trump's executive authority. The executive order, she said, is an unconstitutional use of 'taxpayer dollars and government resources … to pursue a personal vendetta.' 'The president is certainly entitled to his own beliefs, entitled to his own causes, and entitled to his own dislikes,' Howell said. But the president cannot 'bring the federal government down on his political opponents … as he has done here.' The judge also said she was blocking much of Trump's order because of the economic harm it would cause to the law firm — and the intimidating message it sent across legal industry. Howell said the order was an 'extreme, unprecedented effort' and had an effect of 'blizzard proportions across the legal profession.' Delivering her decision from the bench, Howell said the justice system depends on zealous advocates on all sides being able to argue for their clients. 'The chilling effect of this executive order, 14230, threatens to significantly undermine the integrity of our entire legal system,' she said. The ruling came at the end of a hearing where the top aide to the attorney general argued that the president should be trusted without question if he wants to blacklist or sanction businesses or people as he sees fit across the country. The argument from Chad Mizelle, the chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, is one of staggering presidential power. Howell was flabbergasted by Mizelle's argument, saying it sent 'chills down my spine' to hear the president could bar all government business with a particular company or person. Howell compared that type of decision by the president to Treasury Department economic sanctions that are decided by the Office of Foreign Assets Control related to national security. 'Your view is, 'Don't be chilled, judge. You can just trust the president to draw the right line, and yes, he has that power?'' Howell asked. 'And that's the government's position here?' '100 percent,' Mizelle said. 'The president has every right to take that action.' Mizelle also argued the courts shouldn't be able to limit the president's authority, especially as he decides upon lawyers' security clearances or other access questions related to national security. Perkins Coie's lawyer Dane Butswinkas, however, said that the national security argument is a red herring, and the Trump administration's approach refers to 'a different Constitution from the one I'm familiar with.' The firm says the order will cause top clients to drop its lawyers, and ultimately 'will spell the end of the law firm,' Butswinkas said. 'The president is punishing this law firm' for defending free speech. He said that Justice Department prosecutors have canceled meetings with Perkins Coie lawyers, hurting their ability to represent clients in ongoing legal matters. Howell also said she was blocking Trump's order because it appears to violate several Constitutional protections, including the right for defendants to choose their lawyers, and the First Amendment right to petition the government. Perkins Coie also had no warning of the executive order or chance to oppose it before the White House issued it last Thursday, violating their due process, the judge added. CNN's Emily R. Condon and Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional developments.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge blocks Trump admin from targeting Democratic law firm after attorneys warn of firm's demise
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order seeking to penalize Democrat-linked law firm Perkins Coie, siding with plaintiffs from the firm who argued that the order was unconstitutional and a violation of due process protections. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell comes just one day after attorneys representing the law firm Perkins Coie filed a request for an emergency restraining order blocking Trump's executive order from taking force. Among other things, the order called for the firm's employees to be stripped of their security clearances and banned from accessing government buildings. It also called for the termination of the firm's existing contracts with government clients— actions Judge Howell appeared to agree with. "That's pretty extraordinary power for the president to exercise," she noted during the hearing. Attorneys for Perkins Coie argued that the executive order is a violation of due process protections, free speech, and free association protections under the U.S. constitution, and argued it would effectively force the firm's business to a halt. Fbi Agents Sue Trump Doj To Block Any Public Identification Of Employees Who Worked On Jan. 6 Investigations Read On The Fox News App "It truly is life-threatening," attorneys for Perkins Coie told the judge. "It will spell the end of the law firm." Judge Howell appeared to uphold their concerns, noting at one point in the hearing that it "sends little chills down my spine" that the Trump administration moved to label the firm as a threat and deny them access to government entities and businesses. Lawyers for Perkins Coie argued the executive order would be "like a tsunami waiting to hit the firm" in terms of damaging impact. Already, they said, there is evidence that some of the firm's clients have withdrawn legal work from their firm or are considering doing so, moves they said would cause the firm to lose "signifcant revenue." The order, signed by President Donald Trump last week, sought to penalize Perkins Coie, which has long represented Democratic-linked causes and candidates, including Trump's former opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 presidential election. The firm also played a role in hiring Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm that commissioned the so-called "Steele Dossier" and published it shortly before the 2016 election. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, appeared in federal court to represent the Trump administration in the lawsuit. The hearing, and rare court appearance from Mizelle, a senior member of the U.S. attorney general's office, comes one week after Trump signed the executive order. The order, titled "Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP," accused Perkins Coie of "dishonest and dangerous activity" that they alleged undermines "democratic elections, the integrity of our courts, and honest law enforcement," as well as "racially discriminating against its own attorneys and staff" through its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. Axed Government Watchdog Says Trump Has Right To Fire Him Trump told reporters last week it was an "absolute honor" to sign the order, adding that "weaponization" against a political opponent "should never be allowed to happen again." However, Perkins Coie attorneys argue the Trump administration has done just that by targeting the firm. "Its plain purpose is to bully those who advocate points of view that the President perceives as adverse to the views of his Administration, whether those views are presented on behalf of paying or pro bono clients," they noted in the emergency lawsuit. Attorneys representing Perkins Coie told Howell that roughly 25% of total firm revenue comes from its contracts with government clients, which they noted would be terminated by Trump's executive order. Notably, this is not the first time the Trump administration has sought to restrict the work of certain law firms he sees as potentially opposed to his interests. Earlier this year, Trump also issued an executive order targeting the law firm Covington & Burling, which represents former special counsel Jack Smith, who was tapped by Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate Trump in his handling of classified documents and actions related to the 2020 election. The order against Covington & Burling was slightly less restrictive, however, and revoked the security clearances of just two lawyers at the firm. Like Perkins Coie, it orderd the review of all the firm's government contracts and clients, though it is unclear if the review has forced any terminations of the contracts. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for article source: Judge blocks Trump admin from targeting Democratic law firm after attorneys warn of firm's demise
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Judge blocks key provisions of Trump's bid to punish Democratic-linked law firm
President Donald Trump's retaliation against a prominent Democratic-linked law firm is likely unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration from enforcing central provisions of an executive order that seeks to punish the law firm, Perkins Coie, by barring its attorneys from interacting with federal agencies or even entering federal buildings. Howell said the 'retaliatory animus' of Trump's order is 'clear on its face' and appears to violate constitutional restrictions on 'viewpoint discrimination.' The executive order, which Trump issued last week, 'runs head on into the wall of First Amendment protections,' the judge concluded. Perkins Coie, which is based in Seattle, has often represented Democratic politicians and causes, including Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Trump has long targeted the firm as a political and legal adversary for its role in commissioning the anti-Trump dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele in 2016. That dossier, whose salacious allegations against Trump were never confirmed by federal investigators, helped fuel the long-running probe of his 2016 campaign's interactions with Russia. The executive order, if allowed to take effect, would hamstring the firm's ability to represent clients who have business with the federal government. The firm claims that Trump's directive has already led clients to abandon the firm and is likely to prompt federal officials to cancel or deny meetings on a wide array of pending matters. Howell noted that the order would harm not only the firm's 1,200 lawyers — most of whom had nothing to do with the Russia probe — but its 2,500 non-lawyer employees, from IT staff to secretaries. The judge said Trump's order was also flawed because it was issued without any notice to the firm or due process to challenge his determination. 'This may be amusing in 'Alice in Wonderland' where the Queen of Hearts yells, 'Off with their heads!' at annoying subjects … and announces a sentence before a verdict,' Howell said, 'but this cannot be the reality we are living under.' The executive order also stripped security clearances from lawyers at the firm, but the firm has not challenged that provision. Under Supreme Court precedent, the president has nearly unfettered discretion to grant or remove security clearances. Dane Butswinkas, a lawyer representing Perkins Coie, described the president's order as 'like a tsunami waiting to hit the firm.' 'It truly is life-threatening. ... It will spell the end of the law firm,' he said. Howell's ruling is a temporary restraining order, meaning it blocks key provisions of the executive order while litigation continues. In emphatic remarks from the bench following an emergency hearing Wednesday, Howell expressed grave concern that Trump's order would intimidate other law firms, discouraging them from taking on causes or people at odds with the administration. 'I am sure that many in the legal profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through here,' said the judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama. 'The order casts a chilling harm of blizzard proportions across the legal profession.' The hearing featured an unusual appearance by the Justice Department's chief of staff and acting No. 3 official, Chad Mizelle, who argued in defense of Trump's order. Mizelle said Trump has largely unchecked authority to single out individuals or organizations as threatening to government interests. 'The president of the United States … is authorized under the Constitution to find certain individuals and certain companies are not trustworthy with the nations' secrets,' Mizelle said. Mizelle said Perkins Coie was raising the alarm about a series of potential consequences that have not yet materialized and might never come to pass once agencies issue guidance interpreting Trump's order. 'What they're complaining about is a series of bogeymen,' Mizelle said. 'None of those ghosts are real. The bogeymen are not real.' Howell's ruling is the first legal brushback to Trump for his recent orders targeting law firms he perceives as hostile to his interests. Last month, Trump pulled security clearances for lawyers at the prominent firm Covington & Burling after learning that several of its attorneys had agreed to represent former special counsel Jack Smith, who criminally prosecuted Trump. Since his inauguration to a second term in January, Trump has also revoked the security clearances of scores of former officials, including President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and more than 50 former intelligence officials who signed a letter arguing that reports about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation operation.
Politico
12-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Judge blocks key provisions of Trump's bid to punish Democratic-linked law firm
President Donald Trump's retaliation against a prominent Democratic-linked law firm is likely unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration from enforcing central provisions of an executive order that seeks to punish the law firm, Perkins Coie, by barring its attorneys from interacting with federal agencies or even entering federal buildings. Howell said the 'retaliatory animus' of Trump's order is 'clear on its face' and appears to violate constitutional restrictions on 'viewpoint discrimination.' The executive order, which Trump issued last week, 'runs head on into the wall of First Amendment protections,' the judge concluded. Perkins Coie, which is based in Seattle, has often represented Democratic politicians and causes, including Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Trump has long targeted the firm as a political and legal adversary for its role in commissioning the anti-Trump dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele in 2016. That dossier, whose salacious allegations against Trump were never confirmed by federal investigators, helped fuel the long-running probe of his 2016 campaign's interactions with Russia. The executive order, if allowed to take effect, would hamstring the firm's ability to represent clients who have business with the federal government. The firm claims that Trump's directive has already led clients to abandon the firm and is likely to prompt federal officials to cancel or deny meetings on a wide array of pending matters. Howell noted that the order would harm not only the firm's 1,200 lawyers — most of whom had nothing to do with the Russia probe — but its 2,500 non-lawyer employees, from IT staff to secretaries. The judge said Trump's order was also flawed because it was issued without any notice to the firm or due process to challenge his determination. 'This may be amusing in 'Alice in Wonderland' where the Queen of Hearts yells, 'Off with their heads!' at annoying subjects … and announces a sentence before a verdict,' Howell said, 'but this cannot be the reality we are living under.' The executive order also stripped security clearances from lawyers at the firm, but the firm has not challenged that provision. Under Supreme Court precedent, the president has nearly unfettered discretion to grant or remove security clearances. Dane Butswinkas, a lawyer representing Perkins Coie, described the president's order as 'like a tsunami waiting to hit the firm.' 'It truly is life-threatening. ... It will spell the end of the law firm,' he said. Howell's ruling is a temporary restraining order, meaning it blocks key provisions of the executive order while litigation continues. In emphatic remarks from the bench following an emergency hearing Wednesday, Howell expressed grave concern that Trump's order would intimidate other law firms, discouraging them from taking on causes or people at odds with the administration. 'I am sure that many in the legal profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through here,' said the judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama. 'The order casts a chilling harm of blizzard proportions across the legal profession.' The hearing featured an unusual appearance by the Justice Department's chief of staff and acting No. 3 official, Chad Mizelle, who argued in defense of Trump's order. Mizelle said Trump has largely unchecked authority to single out individuals or organizations as threatening to government interests. 'The president of the United States … is authorized under the Constitution to find certain individuals and certain companies are not trustworthy with the nations' secrets,' Mizelle said. Mizelle said Perkins Coie was raising the alarm about a series of potential consequences that have not yet materialized and might never come to pass once agencies issue guidance interpreting Trump's order. 'What they're complaining about is a series of bogeymen,' Mizelle said. 'None of those ghosts are real. The bogeymen are not real.' Howell's ruling is the first legal brushback to Trump for his recent orders targeting law firms he perceives as hostile to his interests. Last month, Trump pulled security clearances for lawyers at the prominent firm Covington & Burling after learning that several of its attorneys had agreed to represent former special counsel Jack Smith, who criminally prosecuted Trump. Since his inauguration to a second term in January, Trump has also revoked the security clearances of scores of former officials, including President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and more than 50 former intelligence officials who signed a letter arguing that reports about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation operation.
