Judge Decisions Against Trump's Ban on Clinton-Linked Legal Firm: Courtroom Victories and Defeats for Trump and Musk
Share Across Platforms- Post on Facebook:Donald Trump just faced another defeat in court as a judge blocked his executive order targeting Perkins Coie, a law firm that previously represented Hillary Clinton. This comes after a string of rulings against the president and his cost-cutting czar, Elon Musk.
- Tweet on Twitter:Breaking News: Federal Judge blocks Trump's executive order against Perkins Coie, a law firm that worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Another setback for Trump and Elon Musk! #Trump #Lawsuit #PerkinsCoie
- Post on LinkedIn:Federal Judge Beryl Howell issued an order against a recent executive order by President Trump, which barred government officials from working with Perkins Coie and prohibited its lawyers from accessing sensitive information. This decision comes as part of a series of legal challenges facing Trump and Elon Musk.
Key Facts
- The court order blocks provisions of the executive order that target Perkins Coie, a law firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. The order was issued due to concerns over its potential bankruptcy and unlawful retaliation against political opponents.
- Perkins Coie has previously denied any wrongdoing, stating that the attorneys who led Clinton's campaign work are no longer with the firm and that a previous lawsuit against the company was dismissed.
Litigation Update
- Immigration: pending on suspension of funding for refugee resettlements, asylum restrictions, raids on sanctuary cities, pausing the humanitarian parole program, withholding funds from sanctuary cities, immigration officers entering houses of worship, restricting grants to immigration-related groups, the “expedited removal” of immigrants, and the administration shutting down the CBP One app used by asylum seekers.
- Federal Workers: numerous lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to mass layoffs, fires of inspectors general, and the power grab known as “Schedule F” order.
- DOGE: multiple ongoing lawsuits challenging Trump’s authority in establishing DOGE, as well as efforts to block Musk and his associates' access to data at various agencies.
- Transgender Rights: ongoing litigation against a number of the Trump administration’s restrictions on transgender Americans’ rights, including the ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports, the requirement that passports must reflect an individual’s biological sex, and the reinstated ban on transgender Americans serving in the military.
- Federal Funding: litigation ongoing over lost funding in Pennsylvania, environmental groups suing the administration over the President's order on offshore oil and gas leasing, and farming organizations challenging the government's decision to delete information on climate change from government websites.
- Congestion Pricing: New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority sought to invalidate Trump’s order directing the city to cancel its congestion pricing program.
Judges Criticism
Judges have often criticized the government's policies, with concerns over policies violating federal law and causing harm to children. For example, Judge Lauren King argued that the executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors "promises serious harm to children" and is a "blunderbuss" in achieving the administration's stated goal of protecting children. Judge John Coughenour wrote in his ruling blocking Trump's birthright citizenship order that "The president cannot change, limit, or qualify this Constitutional right via an executive order."
Supreme Court's Involvement
The Supreme Court has ruled on one case so far, requiring the Trump administration to disburse foreign aid funding for already-completed work. They temporarily halted another case involving Hampton Dellinger, who was temporarily kept in his job by the Supreme Court in February. It is unclear how the conservative-leaning court will rule on future challenges, but some of the administration's moves may be too much even for the court to support.
- The court ruling has blocked a policy from the Trump administration, specifically targeting Perkins Coie, a law firm that previously represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, due to concerns over potential bankruptcy and unlawful retaliation against political opponents.
- The ongoing litigation against Trump's administration regarding DOGE involves challenges to his authority in establishing DOGE and efforts to block Elon Musk and his associates' access to data at various agencies.
- Judges have expressed criticism towards some of the Trump administration's policies, withconcerns over potential violations of federal law and potential harm to children, such as the executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors being likened to a "blunderbuss."