Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was rescinding his executive order against a law firm that sued alleged Jan. 6 rioters, but with several catches, among them that the firm must do $40 million of free work for the administration.
Last Friday, Trumpâs order rescinded federal government contracts held by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. The order cited a pro bono suit against suspected Jan. 6 rioters and the re-hiring of Mark Pomerantz, who worked in the Manhattanâs district attorneyâs office during its investigation of Trump, as cause for presidential action. The order also accused the Manhattan firm of race and gender discrimination.
In addition to revoking contracts, Trump ordered the same for firm membersâ active security clearances.
It was amid those drastic measures that Trump announced that he was able to extract considerable value from the firm in exchange for dropping the order.
In his statement on Truth Social, Trump said in part that the firm âwill take on a wide range of pro bono matters that represent the full spectrum of political viewpoints of our society, whether âconservativeâ or âliberal.ââ
He continued that it will ânot adopt, use, or pursue any DEI policies,â and, most stunningly, âwill dedicate the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services over the course of President Trumpâs term to support the Administrationâs initiatives, including: assisting our Nationâs veterans, fairness in the Justice System, the Presidentâs Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, and other mutually agreed projects.â
Earlier this month, Perkins Coie, another firm in Trumpâs crosshairs via executive order, sued the administration, claiming the presidential act was âan affront to the Constitution and our adversarial system of justice.â
âIts plain purpose is to bully those who advocate points of view that the president perceives as adverse to the views of his administration, whether those views are presented on behalf of paying or pro bono clients,â the suit stated. âPerkins Coie cannot allow its clients to be bullied.â