Two law firms have sued the Trump administration over executive orders revoking their security clearances.
The law firms, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale, allege that the revocations are unconstitutional.
According to Jenner & Block’s lawsuit, Trump’s executive order “sanctions Jenner for its representation of clients in cases adverse to the government, for its prior association with an individual who has not worked at the Firm in four years but has been critical of the President, and for its hiring practices.” Jenner further claimed that the order violates the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment, and the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel.
WilmerHale wrote in its lawsuit that Trump’s “sweeping attack” on law firms is “unprecedented and unconstitutional.”
“The First Amendment protects the rights of WilmerHale, its employees, and its clients to speak freely, petition the courts and other government institutions, and associate with the counsel of their choice without facing retaliation and discrimination by federal officials,” the filing says.
Trump’s order on Jenner & Block says the law firm 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,” citing its activity in partisan politics, discrimination, and its re-hiring of “unethical Andrew Weissmann after his time engaging in partisan prosecution as part of Robert Mueller’s entirely unjustified investigation.”
The order on WilmerHale says the law firm is “bent on employing lawyers who weaponize the prosecutorial power to upend the democratic process and distort justice.”
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has also requested that WilmerHale provide information on any policies supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
