EXECUTIVE ORDER TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump enacted an Executive Order aimed at suspending security clearances for personnel associated with Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) while a thorough review determines whether their access to sensitive information aligns with national interests.
- Effective immediately, security clearances for WilmerHale employees will be suspended, pending an examination of their appropriateness concerning national interest.
- The Federal Government will cease all material and services, including access to sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIF), for WilmerHale, restricting their employees’ entry into federal buildings.
- Moreover, federal agencies will refrain from employing WilmerHale personnel unless expressly authorized to do so.
- In a bid to ensure taxpayer funds are not funneled to contractors whose operations contradict American values, the Federal Government will terminate all contracts associated with WilmerHale.
- The firm’s practices will be scrutinized under Title VII to ensure compliance with civil rights legislation against racial discrimination.
CONFRONTING UNETHICAL LAW FIRMS: President Trump asserts that legal professionals and firms that engage in activities harmful to vital American interests should not receive taxpayer support or access to sensitive government information.
- WilmerHale has reportedly strayed from the legal profession’s core principles, allegedly misusing its pro bono initiatives to engage in actions counterproductive to justice and U.S. interests.
- The firm is accused of pursuing partisan objectives, endorsing racial discrimination, and obstructing measures aimed at preventing illegal activities, including drug trafficking and violent crimes.
- WilmerHale’s actions have allegedly contributed to the erosion of American electoral integrity by backing initiatives that facilitate noncitizen voting.
- Further accusations suggest that WilmerHale discriminates against its own workforce based on race and other categories forbidden by civil rights statutes, including the employment of race-based quotas.
- The firm has welcomed figures like Robert Mueller and his associates, who are perceived to have misused governmental authority in a politically charged investigation against the President, highlighting the concerns over governmental weaponization.
RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is following through on his pledge to counteract the misuse of government power and safeguard the nation from partisan actors exploiting their positions.
- In addition to actions against WilmerHale, President Trump is taking steps to hold other prominent law firms accountable.
- This Executive Order aligns with the President’s commitment to realigning government operations to prioritize the needs of American citizens.
- It builds on previous measures, including an Executive Order signed on his first day in office aimed at ending governmental weaponization and ensuring accountability for prior misconduct.
- Additionally, this action follows the revocation of security clearances from intelligence officials who inaccurately labeled Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation during the 2020 election campaign.