A federal judge has temporarily blocked key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, a firm with deep ties to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party—connections that Trump openly despises. The firm claims that its past work for Democrats has made it a target of retaliation under the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama-appointed judge, issued the ruling on Wednesday, halting parts of the order that would have barred Perkins Coie personnel from entering federal buildings and required government contractors to disclose any business dealings with the firm. Howell ruled that Trump’s order likely violates the First Amendment by punishing Perkins Coie for its legal representation and political affiliations. She also found that it may infringe upon due process rights and the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees clients the right to legal counsel.
In her ruling, Howell did not hold back in criticizing the president, even likening him to the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, who was known for her impulsive and vindictive decrees. “Off with their heads!” may be entertaining in fiction, she noted, but “cannot be the reality we are living under our Constitution.”
Howell emphasized that regardless of Trump’s personal dislike for Perkins Coie’s clients or their political positions, issuing an executive order to specifically target the firm was an act of retaliation that directly contradicts First Amendment protections. “It is unconstitutional for the government to take action against a law firm based on political disagreements,” she stated.
The law firm had requested a temporary restraining order that would address only the most pressing sections of Trump’s order. As a result, Howell’s ruling applies to just three of the six provisions in the executive order. It does not, however, intervene in Trump’s move to revoke the security clearances of certain Perkins Coie attorneys or his directive for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate large law firms for possible Civil Rights Act violations.
Trump has long held a grudge against Perkins Coie, which was involved in legal battles against him, including work related to opposition research on his 2016 campaign. His executive order, seen by many as an effort to weaken a firm closely aligned with his political opponents, is now facing significant legal challenges. With this latest court ruling, it remains to be seen how the administration will respond and whether Trump will escalate his battle against his longtime adversaries.
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