US judge strikes down Trump’s executive order targeting WilmerHale law firm
'To rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers,' Judge Richard Leon writes in opinion
WASHINGTON
A federal judge struck down an executive order issued by President Donald Trump targeting the Washington-based law firm WilmerHale on Tuesday, ruling it “unconstitutional” and permanently blocking its enforcement.
US District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, said the order violated constitutional protections, including free speech and due process.
“To rule otherwise would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the Founding Fathers,” Leon wrote in his opinion.
“If you take on causes disfavored by President Trump, you will be punished!” he wrote.
The Trump administration's March 27 order had sought to suspend security clearances of WilmerHale employees, terminate government contracts with the firm and restrict federal employees from engaging with it.
Trump accused WilmerHale and other law firms of "weaponizing" the justice system against him and his allies.
WilmerHale, where former special counsel Robert Mueller once worked, sued the administration, citing violations of the First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments and the separation of powers clause.
