In an abrupt volte-face, the US government has decided not to abandon plans to enforce executive orders punishing law firms perceived as hostile to President Trump.
Just hours after it emerged that the justice department planned to discontinue its appeal against federal rulings that the orders violated the constitution, the department yesterday took action to press ahead. The department has filed a ‘motion to withdraw a motion to voluntarily dismiss appeals’ in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
The firms in Trump’s line of fire are Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block. The quartet has resisted the orders, which compromise their security clearances, government contracts and access to government buildings.
In a statement on Monday, Susman Godrey hailed the government’s apparent retreat as a ‘capitulation’, welcoming a ‘fitting end to its plainly unconstitutional attack on Susman Godfrey and the rule of law’.
In a new statement reported by NBC News following the u-turn, Susman Godfrey said it would ‘defend itself and the rule of law without equivocation’.
Perkins Coie said: ‘Hours after asking the court to dismiss its appeal, the Department of Justice has abruptly reversed course and moved to continue its defense of the unconstitutional executive orders. It offered no explanation to either the parties or the court for its reversal. We remain committed to defending our firm, our people, and our clients.’
4 Readers' comments