Trump U-turns on defence of sanctions on law firms

The US Justice Department moved Tuesday to reverse course after abruptly abandoning its defense of sanctions imposed on law firms seen as hostile to President Donald Trump and his agenda.

Trump signed executive orders targeting several firms last spring, revoking their lawyers' security clearances, restricting their access to federal buildings and officials and terminating government contracts.

Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Jenner and Block and Susman Godfrey challenged the orders in court. Judges ruled the measures unconstitutional.

Although the Justice Department (DoJ) had appealed those decisions, it dropped the appeals on Monday, according to court filings.

But in a sudden about-face, the department asked the appeals court on Tuesday to reinstate the cases.

In its filing, the government acknowledged that the firms oppose the "unexplained request," but argued that because the appeals court has not yet ruled, it retains the authority to proceed.

The court does not necessarily have to grant the motion.

Ahead of the DoJ's reversal, Susman Godfrey said "the government has capitulated, which is a fitting end to its plainly unconstitutional attack on Susman Godfrey and the rule of law."

"In doing so, it has abandoned any attempt to defend the indefensible executive order against our firm," it added.

WilmerHale and Jenner and Block were linked to former special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in favor of Trump the 2016 election.

In his 2019 report Mueller, a former director of the FBI, found insufficient evidence of Americans involved in a criminal conspiracy, but noted undue pressure exerted by the president on his investigation.

Perkins Coie represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and was involved in the preparation of documents related to Trump's ties to Russia.

To avoid sanctions, other firms reached agreements with the Trump administration, offering their legal services pro bono to causes he supported, such as veterans or the fight against anti-Semitism.