By Mike Scarcella
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday appealed a federal judge’s decision to strike down an executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie over its past legal work for Hillary Clinton and others.
The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the May 2 ruling by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
The appeal could give one of the country’s most influential courts its first chance to weigh the Republican president’s orders singling out law firms, which the Justice Department has argued fall within his authority.
Three other judges in Washington federal court have rejected executive orders against law firms WilmerHale, Jenner & Block and Susman Godfrey. The Justice Department has not yet filed appeal notices in those cases.
Trump in February launched a pressure campaign against law firms he perceived as aligned against him and the interests of his administration.
His executive order against Perkins Coie accused the firm of taking part in an effort to “steal” the 2016 election for Clinton, his Democratic opponent.
The order, issued in March, sought to strip government contracts from the law firm’s clients and to restrict attorneys at the firm from entering federal buildings.
The administration’s executive orders against WilmerHale, Jenner and Susman Godfrey contained similar provisions.
Perkins Coie’s lawsuit, like the cases from rival firms, said the executive order violated U.S. constitutional protections for speech and other measures, and was designed to intimidate lawyers from representing clients Trump might disfavor.
Howell agreed, rebuking the president in a strongly worded 102-page ruling.
“Settling personal vendettas by targeting a disliked business or individual for punitive government action is not a legitimate use of the powers of the U.S. government or an American president,” wrote Howell, an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama.
Republican-appointed U.S. District Judges John Bates and Richard Leon also ruled against the Trump administration in the cases brought by Jenner and WilmerHale, respectively. Democratic-appointed U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ruled similarly in the case brought by Susman Godfrey.
Nine other firms have pledged nearly $1 billion in free legal services and made other concessions in settling with the White House to avoid being targeted by Trump.
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella in WashingtonEditing by David Bario and Matthew Lewis)
