Seattle law firm Perkins Coie targeted in Trump executive order: ‘This is an absolute honor to sign’
Mar 9, 2025, 5:00 AM
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 06: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on March 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed a series of executive orders, including lifting 25% tariffs for all goods compliant under USMCA trade agreement, terminating the security clearances of those who work at the law firm Perkins Coie, combating drug trafficking at the northern border as well as announcing a $20 billion investment by shipping giant CMA CGM for U.S. infrastructure and jobs. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order suspending security clearances for employees of Perkins Coie, a Seattle-based law firm known for its longstanding legal work with the Democratic Party.
The order, issued Thursday, also directs federal agencies to review and terminate any existing government contracts with the firm, though no current contracts were identified in a federal spending database.
“This is an absolute honor to sign. What they’ve done is, it’s just terrible,” Trump said at the signing, referring to the firm’s involvement in past political and legal controversies. “Weaponization — you could say weaponization against a political opponent — and it should never be allowed to happen again.”
Perkins Coie is the largest law firm headquartered in the Pacific Northwest.
Perkins Coie’s role in past political investigations
Perkins Coie has been a central player in Democratic legal efforts for years, representing the Democratic National Committee and various campaigns, including Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid. The firm was also involved in the commissioning of the Steele dossier, a collection of intelligence reports about Trump’s business and political ties overseas. The dossier, compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, was commissioned through Fusion GPS, a research firm hired by Perkins Coie.
The executive order is part of a broader effort by Trump to penalize individuals and organizations he perceives as political adversaries.
According to Politico, the president has previously taken similar actions, including revoking security clearances for attorneys and officials connected to investigations into his campaign and presidency.
DEI also part of the Trump executive order
The move against Perkins Coie follows last month’s presidential memorandum terminating security clearances for lawyers at Covington & Burling, a firm that provided pro bono legal services to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Smith had led two federal prosecutions against Trump before both cases were dropped after Trump’s victory in the 2024 election.
In addition to targeting security clearances, Trump’s executive order calls for a “holistic review” of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices at large law firms, including Perkins Coie. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will conduct this review, focusing on hiring, promotions, and client interactions in relation to race-based criteria.
Perkins Coie was previously sued over its diversity fellowship program in 2023 and later opened the program to all first-year law students.
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