A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from implementing an executive order targeting Susman Godfrey, the law firm that represented Dominion Voting Systems in its lawsuit with Fox News over the network's coverage of President Trump's 2020 election fraud claims.
U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan said the effort violated the Constitution and threatens the independence of the bar, which she called “a necessity for the rule of law.”
The decision marks the latest blow to Trump's effort to penalize law firms for pursuing cases he opposes or hiring lawyers he alleges are adversaries.
Trump’s April order sought to ban Susan Godfrey attorneys from accessing government buildings, viewing documents or representing any party that has litigation involving the federal government. The president contended that the move was necessary “to address the significant risks, egregious conduct, and conflicts of interest.”
AliKhan, a Biden appointee disagreed with the justification.
“While the Order proclaims that it has been made pursuant to the ‘authority vested in [Donald Trump] as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,’ Order, the court is not convinced that there is a statutory or constitutional basis for the actions taken therein,” she wrote in her ruling.
“Defendants do not point to any statutory authority that empowers the President to punish a law firm for its choice of clients, donations, or other speech, and the court is not aware of any law that would support such action," AliKhan continued.
The judge added, “Likewise, there is no constitutional authority that supports the action taken by the Order, and it cannot be sustained based on any of “the several constitutional provisions that grant executive power to the President.”
The law firm in a statement online hailed the ruling as a "resounding victory."
“The Court’s ruling is a resounding victory for the rule of law and the right of every American to be represented by legal counsel without fear of retaliation. We applaud the Court for declaring the administration’s order unconstitutional," the company wrote. "Our firm is committed to the rule of law and to protecting the rights of our clients without regard to their political or other beliefs. Susman Godfrey’s lawyers and staff live these values every day."
Godfrey, which helped deliver Dominion a $787 million dollar settlement, filed a suit against the president after his order was released.
Other firms, including WilmerHale, Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block, were also on the Trump administration's hit list. Several of those orders have also been temporarily locked after the companies filed similar lawsuits.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
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