April 10 On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting another large law firm, this time Susman Godfrey, for allegedly weaponizing the US legal system.
The executive order revokes all Susman lawyers’ security clearances and prohibits them from entering government buildings. It also directs the federal government to terminate all contracts with the firm.
There was no reason given for targeting Susman, except for White House Chief of Staff Steven Miller’s statement during the signing in the Oval Office on Wednesday that it was “very involved in election misconduct.”
Despite winning re-election in November, Trump continues to spread false information, claiming that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden due to widespread voter fraud.
One of these baseless claims was the allegation about Dominion voting machines. Susman represented the manufacturer of voting machines in a lawsuit against Fox News for repeatedly reporting misinformation about its involvement in manipulating the 2020 election results. Susman obtained a $787.5 million settlement for Dominion from the conservative news outlet.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Susman stated that it would not back down from the Trump administration.
“Anyone who knows Susman Godfrey knows that we believe in the rule of law and are committed to upholding it. “This principle guides us,” the Houston-based law firm stated.
“There is no question that we will fight this unconstitutional order.”
Trump has now issued similar executive orders against half a dozen of the country’s major law firms due to their ties to Democrats or perceived political opponents. Some law firms have reached pro bono agreements with the Trump administration to avoid the punitive measures or to prevent them from being announced in the first place.
Miller informed Trump during the press conference that they had secured nearly $700 million in pro bono commitments from law firms that had made deals with the government.
“We’re going to be close to a billion soon,” Miller explained.
Trump said he intends to issue executive orders against at least five more law firms.
“Another five to go,” he said.
The first law firm targeted by Trump, Covington & Burling, was punished on February 25 for its ties to former special counsel Jack Smith, who twice prosecuted the president.
Perkins Coie was retaliated against on March 6 for being involved in Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 election campaign.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison was sanctioned on March 14 for its association with a lawyer who worked with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to secure Trump’s felony conviction.
Jenner & Block was also targeted on March 26 for ties to lawyers who prosecuted the president.
WilmerHale was also targeted on March 27 for its ties to Robert Mueller, the special counsel who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Perkins Coie, Jenner, and WilmerHale sued the Trump administration over the executive orders, which critics say are intended to chill the legal system. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression has stated that the executive orders “present a direct assault” on law firms’ ability to sue the federal government.