President Donald Trump signed an executive order today directing agencies to suspend the security clearances and access to federal buildings of lawyers from the firm Jenner & Block.
Jenner & Block is a large law firm with a Washington, DC, office that’s part of several prominent and politically charged cases, and has several well-known courtroom lawyers, regulatory attorneys and Congress specialists in its partnership. The law firm previously employed former prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who led the successful prosecution of Trump’s 2016 campaign leader Paul Manafort as one of the top prosecutors in the Russia investigation.
In the executive order, Trump claims that Jenner & Block has “abandoned the profession’s highest ideals, condoned partisan ‘lawfare,’ and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.” The executive order specifically points out Weissmann’s ties to the firm.
The move is the latest example of Trump carrying out a political vendetta he has against certain firms that have represented or had ties with his perceived enemies. A federal judge in Washington said recently a similar order against the law firm Perkins Coie is unlawful, restoring that firm’s access. But the White House continues to look at punishing other major law firms in the city, and other restrictions had been ordered against the firms Covington & Burling and Paul Weiss, which cut a deal with Trump.
Jenner & Block has in recent weeks taken part in some of the emergency lawsuits challenging Trump’s executive actions, seeking to block the administration from cutting medical research funding to universities, to defend a nonprofit involved in a climate grant program that Trump officials are investigating, and to fight for access to gender-affirming care for minors.
In addition to claiming that Jenner & Block engages in “partisan representations to achieve political ends,” and accusing the firm of discriminating against its employees by race, the order states that the law firm was “thrilled” to rehire Weissmann after the Mueller investigation.
“Andrew Weissmann is the main culprit with respect to this firm?” Trump asked Will Scharf, an aide who presented him with the order at the White House.
“He is one of a number of reasons that we believe this executive order is warranted,” Scharf said.
“He’s a bad guy,” Trump said giving his signature.
The law firm issued a statement this evening in response to the executive order.
“Jenner & Block has had a long history representing clients, paid and pro bono, in their most difficult matters since 1914. Today, we have been named in an Executive Order similar to one which has already been declared unconstitutional by a federal court. We remain focused on serving and safeguarding our clients’ interests with the dedication, integrity, and expertise that has defined our firm for more than one hundred years and will pursue all appropriate remedies.”
This post was updated with a statement from Jenner & Block.
