Latest news with #executiveOrder
The Verge
3 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Is Trump about to ban DJI drones — or help them avoid a ban?
The Washington Post is reporting that he's expected to sign executive orders on drones next week, suggesting they could 'end Chinese drone sales in the US.' That might be true, but the main action WaPo describes is 'the executive order could direct the U.S. intelligence community to accelerate reviews of whether Chinese drone makers DJI and Autel are national security risks' — which is exactly what DJI would like the US to do. DJI products will be automatically banned unless an agency finishes that review. If there's a review, there's a chance. DJI explains why it won't stop drones from flying over the White House — and what happens in a US ban Sean Hollister Feb 5
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Judge rules Trump's order to curtail birthright citizenship
A federal judge struck down one of President Donald Trump's most controversial executive orders - and punctuated his fiery 73-page ruling with over two dozen exclamation points. The president issued a series of executive orders in March suspending major law firms' security clearances and restricting their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. In each case, Trump cited the firms' past work for his political or legal opponents. But on Tuesday US District Judge Richard Leon (pictured) torpedoed Trump's executive order against New York-based WilmerHale. His ruling marked the third time this month that a federal judge deemed the orders targeting the law firms unconstitutional and permanently barred their enforcement. Leon's opinion included over two dozen exclamation points - a rare form of punctuation in court filings - as he scolded the Trump administration for its actions, according to Mediaite. 'The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting. The Founding Fathers knew this!' wrote Leon, who was appointed to the federal bench by former Republican President George W. Bush. 'Accordingly, they took pains to enshrine in the Constitution certain rights that would serve as the foundation for that independence. 'I have concluded that this Order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional,' Leon continued. 'Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!' His fiery tone did not end there, as Leon repeatedly shared his exasperation with the Trump administration in his ruling. In rejecting the government's argument that any injury claimed by WilmerHale was conjecture because the law firm had not argued it was a federal contractor or intended to bid for such a contract, Leon wrote: 'Please - that dog won't hunt!' He then noted that he agreed with the law firms' argument that Trump's executive order 'discourages clients from retaining or maintaining WilmerHale as their counsel' by threatening to cancel the contracts of any entity associated with the group. Leon also called other Trump administration arguments 'absurd!' and responded with an exasperated 'Please!' to the government's request to delay relief for the law firm until federal agency heads could issue guidance on its lawyers' revoked security clearances. In the end, the judge characterized the executive order as 'impos[ing] a kitchen sink or severe sanctions on WilmerHale' for its Constitutionally-protected conduct. 'Any one of those sanctions would cause clients to strongly reconsider their engagements with WilmerHale,' Leon said of the restrictions the executive order imposed. 'Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected free speech! 'This Order is intended to and does, in fact, impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients!' Leon then went on to highlight what he called the 'retaliatory' nature of the executive order - which explicitly cited the fact that the firm employed former Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller (pictured), who led the investigation into alleged collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russian authorities. 'The Order shouts through a bullhorn: If you take on causes disfavored by President Trump, you will be punished!' he concluded, arguing that the executive order's 'viewpoint discrimination' violates the First Amendment. He also argued that the Trump administration failed to show how WilmerHale threatened national security or demonstrate how the order would address those concerns. Additionally, he ruled the Trump administration violated the Fifth Amendment because the executive order was vague and infringed upon the right to counsel. WilmerHale applauded the ruling Tuesday afternoon 'The Court´s decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients,' it said in a statement. 'We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients.' Leon's ruling had echoes of other federal judge's opinions striking down similar edicts. On Friday, US District Judge John Bates ruled that Trump's executive order against Jenner & Block was unconstitutional - sayin it 'seeks to chill legal representation the administration doesn't like,' according to The Hill. Earlier this month, US District Judge Beryl Howll also eviscerated Trump's order against Perkins Coie, which he said 'draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."' A fourth suit brought by Susman Godfrey challenging the legality of the executive order against it is still pending. But many other prominent law firms have sought to avert the orders against them by preemptively reaching settlements that require them to collectively dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal services in support of causes the Trump administration says it supports. Those areas include assisting veterans and public servants, members of the military, Gold Star families, law enforcement and first responders, and 'ensuring fairness in our justice system' as well as combatting antisemitism, the president previously wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also suggested he may use the law firms to help the coal industry in leasing and negotiate trade deals. All together, the deal cut by five law firms brings Trump's legal kitty close to $1 billion. The settlement money, Trump claimed, were 'for damages that they've done. But they give you $100 million and then they announce but we have done nothing wrong. And I agree they've done nothing wrong.' 'But what the hell – they give me a lot of money considering they've done nothing wrong.' The president has not yet commented on Leon's ruling, and has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Judge torpedoes one of Trump's most controversial executive orders... and turns tables on president with simple use of punctuation
A federal judge struck down one of President Donald Trump 's most controversial executive orders - and punctuated his fiery 73-page ruling with over two dozen exclamation points. The president issued a series of executive orders in March suspending major law firms' security clearances and restricting their access to government buildings, officials and federal contracting work. In each case, Trump cited the firms' past work for his political or legal opponents. But on Tuesday US District Judge Richard Leon torpedoed Trump's executive order against New York-based WilmerHale. His ruling marked the third time this month that a federal judge deemed the orders targeting the law firms unconstitutional and permanently barred their enforcement. Leon's opinion included over two dozen exclamation points - a rare form of punctuation in court filings - as he scolded the Trump administration for its actions, according to Mediaite. 'The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting. The Founding Fathers knew this!' wrote Leon, who was appointed to the federal bench by former Republican President George W. Bush. 'Accordingly, they took pains to enshrine in the Constitution certain rights that would serve as the foundation for that independence. 'I have concluded that this Order must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional,' Leon continued. 'Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers!' His fiery tone did not end there, as Leon repeatedly shared his exasperation with the Trump administration in his ruling. In rejecting the government's argument that any injury claimed by WilmerHale was conjecture because the law firm had not argued it was a federal contractor or intended to bid for such a contract, Leon wrote: 'Please - that dog won't hunt!' He then noted that he agreed with the law firms' argument that Trump's executive order 'discourages clients from retaining or maintaining WilmerHale as their counsel' by threatening to cancel the contracts of any entity associated with the group. Leon also called other Trump administration arguments 'absurd!' and responded with an exasperated 'Please!' to the government's request to delay relief for the law firm until federal agency heads could issue guidance on its lawyers' revoked security clearances. In the end, the judge characterized the executive order as 'impos[ing] a kitchen sink or severe sanctions on WilmerHale' for its Constitutionally-protected conduct. 'Any one of those sanctions would cause clients to strongly reconsider their engagements with WilmerHale,' Leon said of the restrictions the executive order imposed. 'Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected free speech! 'This Order is intended to and does, in fact, impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients!' Leon then went on to highlight what he called the 'retaliatory' nature of the executive order - which explicitly cited the fact that the firm employed former Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into alleged collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russian authorities. 'The Order shouts through a bullhorn: If you take on causes disfavored by President Trump, you will be punished!' he concluded, arguing that the executive order's 'viewpoint discrimination' violates the First Amendment. He also argued that the Trump administration failed to show how WilmerHale threatened national security or demonstrate how the order would address those concerns. Additionally, he ruled the Trump administration violated the Fifth Amendment because the executive order was vague and infringed upon the right to counsel. WilmerHale applauded the ruling Tuesday afternoon 'The Court´s decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients,' it said in a statement. 'We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients.' Leon's ruling had echoes of other federal judge's opinions striking down similar edicts. On Friday, US District Judge John Bates ruled that Trump's executive order against Jenner & Block was unconstitutional - sayin it 'seeks to chill legal representation the administration doesn't like,' according to The Hill. Earlier this month, US District Judge Beryl Howll also eviscerated Trump's order against Perkins Coie, which he said 'draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare, who penned the phrase: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."' A fourth suit brought by Susman Godfrey challenging the legality of the executive order against it is still pending. But many other prominent law firms have sought to avert the orders against them by preemptively reaching settlements that require them to collectively dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal services in support of causes the Trump administration says it supports. Those areas include assisting veterans and public servants, members of the military, Gold Star families, law enforcement and first responders, and 'ensuring fairness in our justice system' as well as combatting antisemitism, the president previously wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also suggested he may use the law firms to help the coal industry in leasing and negotiate trade deals. All together, the deal cut by five law firms brings Trump's legal kitty close to $1 billion. The settlement money, Trump claimed, were 'for damages that they've done. But they give you $100 million and then they announce but we have done nothing wrong. And I agree they've done nothing wrong.' 'But what the hell – they give me a lot of money considering they've done nothing wrong.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Bush-appointed judge torches Trump with 27 exclamation points — and a gumbo recipe — in a ruling against an executive order
A conservative federal judge has ruled that Donald Trump 's executive order punishing a law firm tied to his political opponents 'must be struck down in its entirety as unconstitutional,' dealing yet another blow to the president's retaliatory campaign against lawyers and legal groups that opposed his agenda. 'Indeed, to rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the founding fathers!' wrote Judge Richard Leon in Washington D.C. Leon's colorful 73-page opinion uses 27 exclamation points — including in the very second sentence — and compares Trump's executive order against the law firm WilmerHale to a gumbo that gives him 'heartburn,' whose recipe he included. 'The cornerstone of the American system of justice is an independent judiciary and an independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases, however daunting,' wrote Leon, who was appointed by George W. Bush. 'The Founding Fathers knew this! Accordingly, they took pains to enshrine in the Constitution certain rights that would serve as the foundation for that independence,' he added. But nearly 250 years later, 'several executive orders have been issued directly challenging these rights and that independence' within the last few months, Leon wrote. Trump's executive orders single out individual firms that worked for prominent Democratic officials or represented causes he opposed while imposing punitive measures on the law firms like banning their employees from federal buildings and stripping their security clearances. Several firms arranged deals with the Trump administration — including agreeing to perform millions of dollars in pro-bono work — to avoid the president's sanctions. WilmerHale had previously employed former special counsel Robert Mueller, who returned to the firm after leading the investigation into whether Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election to boost Trump's chances of winning. The firm also represented Democrats against Trump's 2020 election challenges, members of Congress seeking his tax records, and inspectors general who sued Trump after they were abruptly terminated at the start of his administration, among others. In his order on March 27, Trump claimed the firm 'abandoned the profession's highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.' The order accuses so-called 'Big Law' firms of actions that 'threaten public safety and national security, limit constitutional freedoms, degrade the quality of American elections, or undermine bedrock American principles.' In his order, Judge Leon slammed the administration for throwing 'a kitchen sink of severe sanctions on WilmerHale for this protected conduct!' He added: 'Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected speech! It both threatens and imposes sanctions and uses other means of coercion to suppress WilmerHale's representation of disfavored causes and clients.' Leon said Trump's executive order is clearly 'motivated by the president's desire to retaliate against WilmerHale for its protected activity.' This is 'not a legitimate government interest, and the order's unsupported assertion of national security will not save it!' he wrote. In a footnote in his ruling, Leon said Trump's executive order is 'akin to a gumbo.' Sections of the order outlining sanctions against the firm 'are the meaty ingredients—e.g., the Andouille, the okra, the tomatoes, the crab, the oysters,' Leon wrote. 'But it is the roux … which holds everything together,' he added, pointing to the president's justification for attacking the firm. 'A gumbo is served and eaten with all the ingredients together, and so too must the sections of the Order be addressed together,' Leon wrote. 'This gumbo gives the Court heartburn.' Several federal judges in recent days have struck down similar orders. Last week, District Judge John Bates, another Bush appointee, blocked a near-identical order targeting the firm Jenner Block after finding it was clear retaliation for the firm's employment of Andrew Weissmann, whom Trump accused of making a career out of 'weaponized government and abuse of power.' 'Like the others in the series, this order … 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,' Bates wrote. Another federal judge is currently weighing a decision in a similar case against Trump's order targeting the law firm Susman Godfrey.
CNN
6 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Judge strikes down executive order targeting WilmerHale in latest blow to Trump's retaliation against major law firms
A federal judge on Tuesday struck down an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year targeting the elite law firm WilmerHale, becoming the latest jurist to permanently block enforcement of an order they concluded is unconstitutional. The ruling from US District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, represents the third time this month that a judge in Washington, DC, has ruled against Trump in his efforts to punish law firms that have employed his perceived political enemies or represented clients who have challenged his initiatives. The 73-page preliminary injunction, which is replete with exclamation marks, is a striking rebuke of Trump's order targeting WilmerHale. The executive order, like others aimed at different firms, denied WilmerHale attorneys access to federal buildings and retaliated against firm clients with government contracts. It also suspended security clearances for lawyers at the firm. 'Any one of those sanctions would cause clients to strongly reconsider their engagements with WilmerHale,' Leon wrote. 'Taken together, the provisions constitute a staggering punishment for the firm's protected speech! The Order is intended to, and does in fact, impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients!' The judge said the executive order signed by Trump in late March violates the firm's First Amendment rights and its right to due process. 'The Court's decision to permanently block the unlawful executive order in its entirety strongly affirms our foundational constitutional rights and those of our clients,' WilmerHale said in a statement. 'We remain proud to defend our firm, our people, and our clients.' WilmerHale is one of the largest law firms in Washington — and former professional home to onetime special counsel Robert Mueller, who oversaw the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and is now retired. The firm is also often at the heart of politically charged disputes, especially related to congressional probes, Justice Department enforcement and in the tech industry. In recent years, lawyers from WilmerHale represented Twitter — now Elon Musk's X — when special counsel Jack Smith sought and obtained some of Trump's private social media data. Its attorneys are also frequently behind liberal-leaning political causes that make their way into court. After the firm rushed to court to challenge the order, Leon halted nearly every part of the order. Trump's executive order claimed that WilmerHale has 'abandoned the profession's highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.' The order specifically noted Mueller's ties to the firm. Tuesday's ruling comes several days after a different judge in Leon's courthouse — John Bates — issued a similar ruling overturning Trump's order targeting the firm Jenner & Block, which also has connections to Mueller. And earlier this month, a third judge in the same courthouse permanently barred the government from enforcing a separate order from the president that sought to punish the firm Perkins Coie. This story has been updated with additional information.
