PRESIDENT TRUMP has a new round of court battles on his hands, as he seeks to punish law firms with ties to former special counsel Robert Mueller.
Two prominent Washington law firms — Jenner & Block and WilmerHale — sued the Trump administration Friday over the president’s executive orders to limit their government contracts, security clearances and access to government buildings.
Mueller worked at WilmerHale before being tapped as special counsel investigating contacts between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Jenner & Block once employed Andrew Weismann, who worked on Mueller’s team and has gone on to become an anti-Trump legal pundit.
“The Constitution, top to bottom, protects against such attempts by the government to target citizens and lawyers based on the opinions they voice, the people with whom they associate, and the clients they represent,” the Jenner & Block lawsuit states.
Trump has signed similar orders targeting the law firms of Covington & Burling, Perkins Coie and Paul Weiss.
Perkins Coie also sued, with a federal judge blocking portions of Trump’s order as the case unfolds.
Paul Weiss struck a deal with Trump, which includes a commitment of $40 million on pro bono cases that align with the administration’s goals.
Trump announced Friday that he’d struck a preemptive deal with the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to provide $100 million in pro bono legal services.
“This was essentially a settlement,” Trump said.