Judge Temporarily Halts Trump’s Revocation of Clearances for Law Firm Linked to Steele Dossier
The company contended that the executive order issued by the president infringed upon its rights to free speech, free association, and due process.
On March 12, a federal judge ruled to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’s executive order that aimed to revoke security clearances from employees at a notable Washington law firm involved in creating the controversial Steele dossier.
In response, Perkins Coie filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, asserting that the president’s order violated the firm’s rights to free speech, free association, and due process as guaranteed by the Constitution.
During a hearing on Wednesday in Washington, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell stated she would approve the firm’s petition for a temporary restraining order against the president’s directive, which additionally aimed to restrict Perkins Coie’s dealings with federal contractors.
Trump initiated a government investigation to terminate all contracts the firm currently has with federal agencies and to reconsider contracts with its clients. The order also curtails the ability of its lawyers to engage with government officials or maintain their security clearances.
In its lawsuit, Perkins Coie indicated that seven of its clients, including a significant government contractor, had either withdrawn legal services or were planning to do so following Trump’s order, resulting in considerable revenue losses for the firm.
Related Stories
According to the lawsuit, government officials have also obstructed or discouraged the firm’s attorneys from partaking in meetings as a result of Trump’s executive order.
Back in 2016, following financial support from the DNC and Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS commissioned Christopher Steele, a former British counterintelligence officer, to investigate claims that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with the Russian government to secure the presidential election.
Steele’s findings were compiled into a dossier that BuzzFeed News published in 2017 without his consent. The publication faced backlash for failing to independently verify many of the dossier’s sensational claims, leading to scrutiny from various journalists.
While some more general conclusions from the dossier—including Russia’s attempts to influence the election in Trump’s favor—were later validated by U.S. intelligence agencies and special counsel Robert Mueller’s subsequent investigation, the report has since been largely discredited, and no one in the president’s circle has been formally accused of conspiring with Russia.
Trump has previously taken legal action against Clinton, Perkins Coie, and others, alleging they colluded to rig the 2016 election against him. However, a federal judge dismissed this lawsuit in 2022.
Reuters contributed to this report.
