Law Firm Behind $787 Million Fox News Defamation Victory Vows to Fight Trump’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Punishment
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
President Donald Trump used the power of government on Wednesday to punish another law firm that has crossed him and his allies in the past, this time Susman Godfrey – the firm that successfully represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation lawsuit against Fox News.
Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office that banned the firm from accessing government buildings, federal documents, or representing any clients related to the federal government.
“Lawyers and law firms that engage in activities detrimental to critical American interests should not have access to our Nation’s secrets, nor should their conduct be subsidized by Federal taxpayer funds or contracts,” read the order Trump signed.
Trump had targeted several law firms prior to Susman Godfrey, eventually reaching agreements with them for hundreds of millions in free legal work in order to continue doing business as usual. “While Trump has publicized four agreements with law firms that have promised $340 million in pro bono services for causes the president supports, aide Stephen Miller said the administration was getting close to $600 to $700 million in deals now, including those that haven’t been announced,” reported Bloomberg on Wednesday.
Susman Godfrey, however, struck a defiant tone in a statement the firm put on its website, saying, “Anyone who knows Susman Godfrey knows we believe in the rule of law, and we take seriously our duty to uphold it. This principle guides us now. There is no question that we will fight this unconstitutional order.”
Susman Godfrey is also suing Mike Lindell on behalf of Dominion over his claims that the voting company somehow rigged the 2020 election. The firm won a $787 million settlement from Fox News over similar allegations.
Trump’s orders targeting law firms and his subsequent deals for free labor have raised eyebrows across the political spectrum, causing alarm among critics. USA Today covered the topic with an article explaining all the various implications for the legal system:
When President Donald Trump issued his first executive order imperiling the business of a law firm, Perkins Coie, which represented Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, the legal community was in shock.
“I am sure that many in the profession are watching in horror at what Perkins Coie is going through,” said Judge Beryl Howell in a D.C. federal trial court March 12, six days after Trump issued his order and one day after the firm sued. “It sends little chills down my spine,” she said, to hear the government argue such orders are lawful if the president thinks the company’s operations aren’t in the nation’s interest.
Trump promised on Wednesday that more law firms will be targeted soon, “We signed with many law firms, the ones that we thought were inappropriate, and they’ve all agreed to pay. We have another five to go.”
