Trump targets Susman Godfrey law firm from Fox-Dominion suit

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Wednesday targeting Sussman Godfrey

a Houston-based law firm that represented Dominion Voting Systems in a high-profile

defamation case against Fox News. The order instructs federal agencies to terminate contracts

with the firm, suspend security clearances for its 170 employees, and restrict their access to

government buildings. It also advises against hiring Sussman Godfrey employees unless a waiver

is granted. The White House claims the firm engaged in behavior detrimental to critical

American interests, including supporting programs it says promote racial discrimination. Godfrey told Reuters it plans to fight against the order, calling it unconstitutional

Sussman-Godfrey represented Dominion in its defamation lawsuit against Fox, which ended in a $787 million settlement

The firm is also suing MyPello CEO Mike Lindell, a prominent Trump supporter, for defamation on behalf of Dominion

The Trump administration claims the firm is weaponizing the legal system through the injection of politics and radical ideology in its work and diversity programs

The executive memo accuses Sussman Godfrey of running a program that offers jobs and awards only to students of color, which the White House calls racial discrimination

Sussman Godfrey released this statement to Reuters. There is no question that we will fight this unconstitutional order

We believe in the rule of law and we take seriously our duty to uphold it This is just the latest in a string of executive orders targeting law firms Three of the firms have filed lawsuits challenging the orders restricting their access to the federal

government, but a handful have also cut deals with the Trump administration. Four firms promising

$340 million worth of pro bono legal services to administration-aligned causes such as work for

veterans and military members. Trump officials suggest the number could get to $1 billion

The law firms do not admit guilt by settling. And Democratic lawmakers are now investigating

those deals. In a joint letter, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congressman Jamie Raskin said

these executive orders are an open attack on the rule of law, which guarantees the equality of all

citizens before the law and prevent the vindictive and arbitrary abuse of government power

These executive orders seek to impose harsh penalties on lawyers for the causes and clients

they represent. This expressed form of viewpoint discrimination, a classic violation of First

Amendment rights, runs counter to American values. However, the president indicated at Wednesday's

signing, there's still more to go. We signed with many law firms, the ones that we thought were inappropriate

and they've all agreed to pay. Now we have another five to go, I think, five of them

And this one is just, we're just starting a process with this one