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From CBS News: A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Trump’s attempt to retaliate against a law firm that represented Hillary Clinton, ruling that an executive order the president signed last week unlawfully targeted the Perkins Coie law firm and violated its First Amendment rights.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell issued a temporary restraining order that stops three parts of the executive order from being implemented against Perkins Coie — provisions that ban the firm’s attorneys from entering government buildings, that restrict contact between federal officials and the firm’s attorneys and that subject the firm’s contracts with federal contractors to review by Trump administration agency heads.
Dane Butswinkas, an attorney representing Perkins Coie, argued in court that the executive order is a “wrecking ball” and a “tidal wave” that would significantly damage the firm’s ability to do work in Washington, D.C., in cases involving the federal government. Attorneys say there are thousands of ongoing cases related to over 90 government agencies. Butswinkas said that about 25% of the firm’s work is related to government work.
Perkins Coie sued the Trump administration this week, arguing that the executive order violated the firm’s constitutional protections of free speech and association. The firm represented Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign against Mr. Trump, and in the course of the campaign, contracted with a research firm that produced the infamous “Steele Dossier.” The controversial dossier contained salacious and unproven allegations highlighting alleged links between Russia, Mr. Trump and his associates.
READ MORE from CBS News.
New York Attorney General Letitia James claimed, “The Trump administration’s action against Perkins Coie for doing its job is unacceptable and could have a chilling effect on the entire legal profession. I pushed back against this illegal action with a group of AGs to defend the rights of all lawyers.”
The Trump administration’s action against Perkins Coie for doing its job is unacceptable and could have a chilling effect on the entire legal profession.
I pushed back against this illegal action with a group of AGs to defend the rights of all lawyers.https://t.co/W8ihhIsXz1
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) March 12, 2025
This is the temp restraining order signed by Beryl Howell in the lawsuit filed by Perkins Coie related to the president’s executive order.
While this does not include the section of the exec order on revocation of security clearances–it certainly sets the stage to do so: pic.twitter.com/nsqTM4bdwd
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 12, 2025
Judge Beryl Howell, 68, was nominated by President Barack Obama to the seat vacated by Judge Paul L. Friedman, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2009, and was confirmed by the Senate in December 2010.
She is the same judge who supervised multiple federal grand juries involving Trump, including “the Mueller special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and investigations into attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.”
🚨 BREAKING: D.C. Judge blocks President Trump from revoking the security clearances from Russia collusion hoax law firm Perkins Coie.
Judge Beryl Howell was appointed by Barack Obama.
Obama/Biden appointees are trying to run the country. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. pic.twitter.com/HWvTY6Ri2o
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 12, 2025
Kyle Cheney reporting from Judge Beryl Howell’s courtroom:
“Judge Howell has ‘blocked’ the Trump administration from enforcing Trump’s executive order seeking to block Perkins Coie (and its clients) from all government business and buildings.”
WHERE ARE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS?
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 12, 2025
News @CBSNews: A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Trump’s attempt to retaliate against a law firm that represented Hillary Clinton in 2016 https://t.co/KhanfAGvPI
— jake rosen (@JakeMRosen) March 12, 2025
LAWFARE: Judge Beryl Howell, Obama-appointed, Trump-hating, has ‘blocked’ the Trump administration from enforcing Trump’s executive order revoking Perkins Coie security clearance. pic.twitter.com/9AGhNP8muP
— @amuse (@amuse) March 12, 2025
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