Key facts
- The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to 14 major law firms.
- The subpoenas seek records of communications related to White House executive orders and adviser Boris Epshteyn.
- The Justice Department is also seeking communications between firms and the American Bar Association regarding Epshteyn.
- The subpoenas are part of a lawsuit filed by the ABA against the Trump administration.
- The ABA alleges the administration's policy unlawfully punishes law firms over their work, diversity policies, and political ties.
- Four law firms had previously won court orders against similar executive orders, with an appeal pending.
The U.S. Justice Department is seeking detailed records and depositions from 14 major law firms, according to subpoenas filed in Washington federal court. These firms were either targeted by White House executive orders last year or made deals with President Donald Trump to avoid his directives. The subpoenas demand communications related to these executive orders, including any exchanges with Boris Epshteyn, a longtime adviser to Trump, since the start of his second term. The Justice Department is also inquiring about any communications the firms may have had with the American Bar Association concerning Epshteyn.
The Justice Department disclosed these subpoenas in a lawsuit initiated last year by the ABA. The association alleges that its members are harmed by an unlawful policy from the Trump administration aimed at punishing law firms for their past legal work, diversity policies, and political affiliations. The DOJ, in its filing, urged the court to reject the ABA's demand for similar information directly from the White House, stating that the ABA should seek this information from its members or the law firms themselves.
This legal action by the ABA casts renewed scrutiny on the Trump administration's campaign against prominent law firms. It could place firms that settled with the administration in an awkward position as the two sides contend over evidence in the litigation. Four law firms had previously sued the administration and secured court orders permanently barring the executive orders against them. The administration's appeal of these orders is currently pending.