***UPDATE*** I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. I hope you’ll still read the following article. In fact you’ll need to to appreciate the new development. Yesterday Trump and his DOJ realized they were headed for more legal losing and embarrassment. They cut their losses and filed a motion to dismiss their appeal of a ruling that spanked them for trying to bully law firms to be like the DOJ. Do what HE says. It seems Trump has decided to ‘withdraw his withdrawal.’ Say what? I have a lot of questions starting with can DOJ actually DO that? I supposed until the order is signed by the appellate judges and the clerk files it then the case ain’t over (so to speak). If the clerk DID file the dismissal this could get fun.
With so much attention on the war with Iran, not to mention Epstein and SCOTUS giving Trump a couple of shadow docket wins it made sense to cut losses on the “Extort Major Law Firms’ policy. Trump was convinced to change his mind about doing what he always does, appeal all the way up the chain. Now he’s changed his mind on changing his mind? Why? Like I said the embarrassment would have quickly faded into the noise. My bet is that firms that caved in and have been providing services (much of it pro bono) that has cost them collectively hundreds of millions started calling DOJ and saying they wanted out of their deals. We’ll see. For now, get ready for what would have been a story that was gone from the news well before the end of this week into a highly enjoyable Cluster F**k to watch! Please read the following original story so you can fully understand it all.
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It’s lunchtime where I live and having blown a chunk of my morning “curing” my mail-in primary ballot I was thinking about something quick and easy. Like heating up a can of chili in the cabinet. Lo and behold, Trumpty himself has served up a big ole TACO. My tummy is still empty but my good mood is full. Some major law firms caved in to Trump demands but some stood up to him and won in district court. Trump of course had Bondi appeal but today we learn she filed the paperwork to dismiss the case. TACO baby!
Yes, SCOTUS handed out a couple of shadow docket decisions that ordinarily would perk him up but he’s losing in court on delaying payback of the tariffs he charged to importers. (Nothing of course for US, who paid the importers inflated prices!) And now this. But one has to assume the DOJ has dumped so much sh*t on itself even Bondi convinced Trump this case was a loser. So, the good news according to CBS News is that the DOJ went to court and ‘cried uncle.’ The bad news is Trump has already extorted hundreds of millions in legal services towards causes he prefers from so many major law firms that didn’t have guts:
In papers filed with the U.S. appeals court in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration said it would be voluntarily dismissing appeals of lower court decisions that found the executive orders punishing the four firms were unconstitutional. The firms are Perkins Coie; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; Susman Godfrey and Jenner & Block.
While the Trump administration will no longer defend the executive orders against the four firms, it successfully extracted hundreds of millions of dollars in free legal services from nine others that cut deals with the White House in an effort to head-off directives targeting them.
This all started last April when Trump signed an Executive Order targeting major law firms representing people and/or causes he didn’t like. It was amazing to many legal pundits that so many firms caved. Yet some, in particular the four named above stood their ground and when the would-be bully threatened them proverbially punched him in his fat mouth and taunted him as he ran off crying. However since Trump believes the DOJ is there to serve HIM and not the public he had Bondi go after them. Only to wind up having his fat orange butt handed to him in court, and how badly does he feel spanked that he’s given up?
Don’t you just LOVE the sight and smell of a giant TACO? Not that I’d take and eat one that Trump handed to me. Lord only knows what those hands touched during the day and he didn’t bother washing them. (I know – eeewww!) What’s important though is that an important legal principle still stands:
“The government’s decision to dismiss its appeal is clearly the right one,” a spokesperson for WilmerHale said in a statement. “As we said from the outset, our challenge to the unlawful Executive Order was about defending our clients’ constitutional right to retain the counsel of their choosing and defending the rule of law. We are pleased these foundational principles were vindicated.”
Then there’s this:
Jenner & Block said in a statement: “The government’s decision to withdraw its appeals makes permanent the rulings of four federal judges that the executive orders targeting law firms, including Jenner & Block, were unconstitutional. This chapter has once again confirmed what has been true of Jenner for more than a century — we will always zealously advocate for our clients and put them first, without compromise.”
The Justice Department declined to comment.
I couldn’t resist highlighting that last part. I rather doubt anyone on Team Trump including and especially in the executive suites at DOJ is in the mood for Tacos for lunch. Wouldn’t it be great if some rich person delivered an entire truck full of Taco Bell to DOJ? And the White House. Oh, and with a big sign on top saying TACOs for everyone on staff. You’re Welcome!
You know who else won’t be in the mood for Tacos today or anytime soon? Partners at the firms who so cravenly caved in to Trump’s demands. It cost some of them clients too. Think about it – if you can afford those kinds of legal fees do you want a lawyer and law firm that would so quickly cave in like that? Well, those who didn’t wound up not just smelling like a rose but with a group of new, high paying clients.
I often say I take my entertainment where I can find it and this is entertaining as hell at a time when we need some.
Friends, I know everyone begs you for money. I promise, among all those asking for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a group of old, disabled people, except for one writer in his mid-50s. The rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the chance to keep telling the truth about Trump and help ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thank you. Ursula
“If you can afford those kinds of legal fees do you want a lawyer and law firm that would so quickly cave in like that?”
Or do you want a firm that stands by it’s principles in the same way you’re paying it to stand by yours? It seems that all the new business is going to the firms that stood up to him. No-one wants to reward the craven cowardice of the others.
After 10+ years of Trump forcing his ugly puss into our daily lives, how can anyone not have seen what a lying sack of sh!t he is. You would think that a law firm would be smart enough to see through his BS, and not allow themselves to be sucked into his bogus and illegal (with Trump, expect his actions to be criminal), petty-ass grievances. Felonious, incompetent buffoon and sexist pig Trump, 79!, is a painful, pus-filled carbuncle on the ass of America.