President Trump announced Tuesday another deal with a law firm he had targeted for punishment, this time the one that employs Doug Emhoff, former Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband. Mr. Trump said the firm had committed to $100 million in pro bono legal work to causes he had championed.
“Willkie’s pro bono Committee will ensure that new pro bono matters are consistent with these objectives, and that pro bono activities represent the full political spectrum, including Conservative ideals,” Mr. Trump said on social media.
Mr. Trump did not say why he targeted the firm. Along with its connection to Mr. Trump’s defeated opponent in the November election, the firm also employs a top investigator for the congressional committee that documented President Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and a litigator who spearheaded a lawsuit that two Georgia election workers brought against Rudolph W. Giuliani in which he was ordered to pay the women $148 million.
The deal is similar to ones struck with Mr. Trump over the past two weeks by the firms Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps to avoid or rescind executive orders aimed at them.
The question of how law firms should respond after being targeted by Mr. Trump has split the legal profession. Those that have chosen to fight have had a string of legal victories so far. On Friday, federal judges issued temporary restraining orders blocking much of his executive orders targeting two major law firms that participated in investigations of him, Jenner & Block and WilmerHale.
Mr. Trump said that the firm had committed to “Merit-Based Hiring, Promotion, and Retention” and “will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences.” He also said that the firm had committed to representing clients, no matter their political beliefs.
“Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP proactively reached out to President Trump and his Administration, offering their decisive commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession,” the White House said in a statement. “The President is delivering on his promises of eradicating Partisan Lawfare in America, and restoring Liberty and Justice FOR ALL.”
The chairman of the firm, Thomas M. Cerabino, said the “substance of that agreement is consistent with our Firm’s views on access to Legal representation by clients, including pro bono clients, our commitment to complying with the Law as it relates to our employment practices, and our history of working with clients across a wide spectrum of political viewpoints.”
Mr. Cerabino added: “The Firm looks forward to having a constructive relationship with the Trump Administration, and remains committed to serving the needs of our clients, our employees, and the communities of which we are a part.”
Michael S. Schmidt is an investigative reporter for The Times covering Washington. His work focuses on tracking and explaining high-profile federal investigations. More about Michael S. Schmidt
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