Judge blocks Trump executive order targeting elite law firm, a blow to his retribution campaign

By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON AP A federal judge on Friday blocked a White House executive order targeting an elite law firm dealing a setback to President Donald Trump s campaign of retribution against the legal profession U S District Judge Beryl Howell announced the executive order against the law firm of Perkins Coie violated multiple provisions of the Constitution and ordered that it be without delay nullified Related Articles Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Precaution systems Trump budget would slash NASA funds Scientific societies say they ll do national atmosphere assessment after Trump dismissed analysis authors Lucas Nazi insults smear memory of atrocities Door knocks and DNA tests How the Trump administration plans to keep tabs on migrant kids The order sought to punish the firm by stripping the defense clearances of its lawyers blocking its employees from accessing federal buildings and canceling federal contracts involving the firm It was one in a series of similar executive actions aimed at punishing a few of the country s most of prestigious law firms in selected cases over prior legal representations out of favor with the Trump administration or because of their associations with prosecutors who previously investigated Trump In the circumstance of Perkins Coie the White House cited its representation of Democrat Hillary Clinton s campaign during the presidential race Howell wrote in her -page order No American President has ever before issued executive orders like the one at issue in this lawsuit targeting a prominent law firm with adverse actions to be executed by all Executive branch agencies but in purpose and effect this action draws from a playbook as old as Shakespeare who penned the phrase The first thing we do let s kill all the lawyers The decision was not surprising given that Howell had earlier temporarily blocked multiple provisions of the order and had expressed deep misgivings about the edict at a more up-to-date hearing when she grilled a Justice Department lawyer who was tasked with justifying it So far all the firms that have challenged orders against them Perkins Coie WilmerHale Jenner Block and Susman Godfrey have succeeded in at least temporarily blocking the orders But other major firms have sought to avert orders by preemptively reaching settlements that require them among other things to dedicate tens of millions of dollars in free legal services in backing of causes the Trump administration says it supports