President Donald Trump said in a post on TruthSocial on Wednesday that he is suing the Democratic law firm Perkins Coie for “egregious and unlawful acts.” Previously, Trump issued an executive order on March 6 titled “Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP,” which suspended the attorneys’ security clearances, restricted them from entering federal buildings, and terminated the firm’s federal government contacts.
“I’m suing the law firm of Perkins Coie for their egregious and unlawful acts, in particular the conduct of a specific member of this firm, only to find out that the Judge assigned to this case is Beryl Howell, an Obama appointment, and a highly biased and unfair disaster,” he said. Trump did not name the attorney he was referring to. Howell is presiding over the firm’s lawsuit challenging his executive order.
Trump’s executive order denounced the “dishonest and dangerous activity of the law firm” and listed several examples, such as its DEI practices in hiring and promotions which “racially discriminates against its own attorneys and staff.” He cited the firm’s representation of Hillary Clinton with the “false ‘dossier’ designed to steal an election.” He said, “Perkins Coie has worked with activist donors including George Soros to judicially overturn popular, necessary, and democratically enacted election laws, including those requiring voter identification. In one such case, a court was forced to sanction Perkins Coie attorneys for an unethical lack of candor before the court.”
The firm sued Trump over the executive order last month, claiming it was targeted due to its work representing Democrats. Perkins Coie claimed that “multiple clients” had terminated their relationship with the firm after the executive order was issued.
Howell, an Obama appointee, temporarily blocked parts of the executive order last month, claiming “retaliatory animus” and violations of free speech and due process. Over 500 law firms, 300 law professors, and groups like the ACLU and Cato Institute have filed briefs supporting the firm. Howell is expected to permanently rule against the executive order.
Trump argued that he has the executive authority to take such measures against entities deemed untrustworthy with national secrets. White House spokesman Harrison Fields said to Fox News, “It is absurd that a billion-dollar law firm is suing to retain its access to government perks and handouts.”
Trump’s post on TruthSocial criticized Howell some more. “She ruled against me in the past, in a shocking display of sick judicial temperament, on a case that ended up working out very well for me, on appeal,” he said. “Beryl Howell is an unmitigated train wreck.” There is no record of how the case turned out on appeal.
Attorney Dane Butswinkas, who is representing Perkins Coie, said in court that a quarter of the firm’s revenue comes from clients with government contracts.
Perkins Coie previously employed Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor who worked on then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s team. Another Perkins Coie attorney, Michael Sussmann, was indicted in 2021 but ultimately acquitted for lying to the FBI about alleged links between Russia and Trump.
Trump filed a lawsuit in 2022 against Perkins Coie in Florida, alleging a conspiracy with Hillary Clinton, the DNC, and others to fabricate ties between Trump and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, dismissed the lawsuit, and imposed sanctions of nearly $930,000 in attorneys fees, including $171,631 for Perkins Coie, on Trump and his lead attorney Alina Habba.
Left-wing billionaire George Soros funded the firm’s lawsuits in 2016 challenging election laws. The firm represented the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign that year. In 2020, the firm represented the DNC and Joe Biden against 65 lawsuits filed by Trump over the election. Prominent left-wing attorney Marc Elias took a leading role at the time, although he is no longer with the firm now. In 2021, the firm filed more lawsuits around the country challenging election laws.
The firm represented Christine Gregoire in her litigation over the 2004 Washington gubernatorial election, where fraud was suspected when recounts changed the election results, allowing her to defeat Republican Dino Rossi.
According to former Congressman Matt Gaetz, the FBI has a workspace inside the firm. Perkins Coie employs 1,200 attorneys and an even larger number of staff. Headquartered in Seattle, its clients include Boeing, Google Microsoft, Amazon and the Seahawks.
Trump previously issued executive orders targeting the law firms of WilmerHale, Jenner & Block, and Susman Godfrey. His EEOC sent letters to 20 law firms demanding information about their DEI practices. Three firms responded by suing the Trump administration, while four have cut deals to avoid the sanctions and restore access.
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
It’s about time the members of the “Big Club” started being held liable for all of the crimes they have committed.