Trump suspended security clearance of prestigious law firm over its ties to former special counsel Robert Mueller

President Donald Trump took aim Thursday at the top law firm WilmerHale through an executive order, due to its ties to former special counsel Robert Mueller, who was in charge of investigating the links of Trump's presidential campaign with the Kremlin during the first administration of the Republican president. While both former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and a significant portion of Democrats argued for months that Trump had won the election thanks to Russian interference, Mueller stressed at the end of his investigation that he had not found sufficient evidence to ensure this alleged plot.

Through the order, the White House revoked the security clearances of the firm's employees. "Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) is yet another law firm that has abandoned the profession’s highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States," Trump said in his proclamation.

The White House order specifically notes the firm's ties to Mueller, who was director of the FBI and worked with Hale and Dorr for two years, until 1995, before it merged to create WilmerHale. While Mueller disassociated himself from the firm during its investigation against Trump, he returned once it was completed in 2019, with WilmerHale noting in a statement that "We couldn’t be happier to have Bob, our extraordinary friend and colleague, return to WilmerHale."

WilmerHale's response

In a statement, the firm noted that it has "longstanding tradition of representing a wide range of clients, including in matters against administrations of both parties” and that it looked forward to “pursuing all appropriate remedies to this unlawful order.” On its relationship with Mueller, WilmerHale explained that Mueller retired in 2021 and "had a long, distinguished career in public service, from his time as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam to his leadership of the FBI in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks."

While different media outlets revealed that the firm had been pressuring the White House over the past few days to prevent his executive order from materializing, it had already been drafted last week, and different officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed to The Wall Street Journal that Trump has resented the former special prosecutor for the investigation against him when he was first president, calling it a "witch hunt."