THE NEWS

President Donald Trump on Friday issued an executive order revoking the security clearances of employees of New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Warton & Garrison (Paul Weiss) “pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest,” according to the White House.

The law firm has been a close ally to Democrats coming after Trump over his conduct, including the Russiagate collusion investigation that found no collusion, while a partner of the firm and a former leading prosecutor in Mueller’s office brought a pro bono suit on behalf of the DC Attorney General against individuals alleged to have taken part in the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the US Capitol.

Trump singled out Paull Weiss’s hiring of attorney Mark Pomerantz – who left the firm to work in the Manhattan DA’s office to draft a prosecution against Trump regarding Trump’s personal and business affairs. Then, Pomerantz rejoined Paul Weiss after leaving the DA’s office.

As the Epoch Times notes further, it goes beyond Pomerantz… as a partner of the law firm and a former leading prosecutor in Mueller’s office brought a pro bono suit against individuals alleged to have taken part in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol on behalf of the District of Columbia attorney general. Trump said such pro bono cases deprived the accused in the Jan. 6 incidents of access to justice they deserved. Paul Weiss also served as counsel in a case against the Proud Boys.

Trump also accused Paul Weiss of discriminating against its own employees on the basis of race and other factors prohibited by civil rights laws.

“Paul Weiss, along with nearly every other large, influential, or industry leading law firm, makes decisions around ‘targets’ based on race and sex,” he stated in Friday’s order.

Paul Weiss issued a statement on Friday noting that Pomerantz “has not been affiliated with the firm for many years.”

“The terms of a similar order were enjoined as unconstitutional earlier this week by a federal district court judge,” the law firm further stated in its response to Trump’s order.

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who worked in the Obama administration, previously worked for Paul Weiss.

In his order regarding Paul Weiss, Trump railed against global law firms for their role in undermining the judicial process, accusing them of activities that make communities less safe, increasing burdens on local businesses, limiting constitutional freedoms, and undermining American elections.

Trump portrayed the relationship between Paul Weiss and officials as “Government sponsorship of harmful activity” of the law firm.

The suspension of security clearances of the firm’s employees is the third time Trump has taken executive action against a major U.S. law firm.

On March 6, Trump issued an executive order against a separate law firm, Perkins Coie.

“Notably, in 2016 while representing failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Perkins Coie hired Fusion GPS, which then manufactured a false ‘dossier’ designed to steal an election,” Trump stated in the order.

“This egregious activity is part of a pattern. Perkins Coie has worked with activist donors including George Soros to judicially overturn popular, necessary, and democratically enacted election laws, including those requiring voter identification.”

In February, Trump also revoked security clearances for two lawyers at Covington & Burling. The law firm had advised Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed during the Biden administration to bring criminal charges against Trump. Covington did not challenge the order in court, though it defended its work for Smith.

Reuters contributed to this report.