WilmerHale Says Attorney Clearances Suspended Under Trump Order

Lawyers for WilmerHale said in a court filing Tuesday that two of the law firm’s attorneys were told by a government agency their security clearances were suspended as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order against the firm.

The unnamed agency alerted the lawyers to the action on May 9, the WilmerHale lawyers said in a letter to US District Judge Richard Leon. The letter asked Leon to include in any future order a provision that would “nullify and reverse” any suspension or revocation of its security clearances pursuant to the order.

“This development underscores that the executive branch stands ready and willing to implement the executive order absent judicial intervention,” Paul Clement, a partner at Clement & Murphy who represents WilmerHale, wrote.

The judge is weighing arguments from the firm to permanently enjoin the government from enforcing the order, which Trump issued March 27. The order cited the firm’s former partner, Robert Mueller, who it accused of “weaponization of government” for leading the Russia investigation.

Leon on March 28 issued a temporary restraining order preventing the government from enforcing certain provisions of the order, including restricting the firm’s lawyers from accessing federal buildings. That order did not side with WilmerHale on its attempt to temporarily restrict the government from stripping lawyers’ security clearances.