Trump Revokes Security Clearances for Law Firm That Hired Robert Mueller

The president accused WilmerHale of engaging in ‘obvious partisan representations to achieve political ends.’

Signage outside of the law firm WilmerHale in Washington on Aug. 30, 2020. Andrew Kelly/Reuters

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on March 27 suspending security clearances held by WilmerHale lawyers due to activities that he deemed “detrimental to critical American interests.”

The order directs government agencies to revoke security clearances for WilmerHale employees, terminate any contracts with the law firm, and restrict its employees’ access to government buildings.

The proclamation specifically cited WilmerHale’s employment of former special counsel Robert Mueller, along with his top aides, Aaron Zebley and James Quarles.

Mueller had previously investigated allegations of cooperation between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian actors. The probe ultimately found no evidence that they conspired to influence the election.

In his order, Trump accused WilmerHale of engaging in “obvious partisan representations to achieve political ends” by employing lawyers who, he said, abused their prosecutorial power “to upend the democratic process and distort justice.”

“Mueller’s investigation epitomizes the weaponization of government, yet WilmerHale claimed he ‘embodies the highest value of our firm and profession’,” the order stated. “This weaponization of the justice system must not be rewarded, let alone condoned.”

The proclamation also alleges that WilmerHale used its pro bono practices to allow noncitizens to vote and undermine efforts “to prevent illegal aliens from committing horrific crimes and trafficking deadly drugs within our borders.” The law firm is also accused of discriminating against employees based on their race.

WilmerHale employs more than 1,100 lawyers and has a leading U.S. Supreme Court practice. Some of its major clients include Apple, Harvard University, Meta, and Tesla.

In response to Trump’s proclamation, a WilmerHale spokesperson defended its hiring of Mueller, saying that he retired from the firm in 2021 after a “long, distinguished career in public service.”

“We look forward to pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order,” the spokesperson said in a statement to multiple news outlets.

The spokesperson said that the proclamation resembled an executive order targeting another law firm, which has been blocked by a judge. Trump signed an order on March 6 targeting Perkins Coie—the law firm hired by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee–due to what he perceived as “dishonest and dangerous activity” conducted by the firm.

Trump’s order also Perkins Coie’s hiring of opposition research company Fusion GPS, which then employed Christopher Steele, the retired British counterintelligence specialist who compiled the now-discredited Steele dossier accusing the Trump 2016 presidential campaign of conspiring with Russia.

Perkins Coie has challenged Trump’s executive action, arguing that the president’s order violated its rights of free speech, free association, and due process under the Constitution. District of Columbia District Judge Beryl Howell on March 12 agreed to temporarily block parts of Trump’s order imposing certain sanctions on the law firm, saying the law firm was likely to win its lawsuit.

Trump also signed an order on March 14 directing government agencies to revoke the security clearances held by employees of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (Paul Weiss). The order also directs agencies to terminate their contracts with the law firm.

That order was withdrawn on March 20 after Paul Weiss released a statement agreeing to review its hiring practices, committing to merit-based hiring, retention, and promotion, and dedicated the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono services in support of the Trump administration’s initiatives such as assisting veterans, and the president’s Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism.

In response to Trump’s moves against certain law firms, 20 Democratic state attorneys general and the American Bar Association accused the president of posing dangers to the U.S. legal system by chilling lawyers’ freedom to choose their clients.

The Epoch Times has reached out to WilmerHale for further comment and did not receive a response by publication time.

T.J. Muscaro, Reuters, and Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.