WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday targeting a Texas law firm that has represented clients in multi-billion dollar defamation suits against conservative media outlets surrounding claims the 2020 election was “stolen.”

What You Need To Know

  • Trump has issued an executive order against Susman Godfrey, a Houston-based law firm representing clients in major defamation suits against conservative media outlets

  • The order suspends security clearances and restricts federal building access for the firm’s employees

  • The firm has pledged to challenge the order, saying it is unconstitutional 

Houston-based Susman Godfrey LLP represented Dominion Voting Systems in lawsuits against Fox News, Newsmax and Mike Lindell—the founder of MyPillow—after they made false claims that the company’s voting machines helped rig the 2020 election. 

Fox News settled the lawsuit before trial for $787.5 million, and just this week, a judge in Delaware sided with Dominion and its lawyers with Susman Godfrey in its case against Newsmax.

The firm also represents Smartmatic International Holding in its case against Lindell for similar claims.

The firm is also representing Media Matters in a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s X, according to a Reuters report. 

In the order, Trump accuses the firm of “weaponizing” the American legal system and engaging in efforts to “degrade the quality of American elections.”

The order directs intelligence officials to suspend any active security clearances held by employees at the firm, “pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.”

It also bars Susman Godfrey personnel from accessing federal government buildings. 

The order also requires government contractors to disclose any business they do with Susman Godfrey and allows federal agencies to “take appropriate steps to terminate any contract” with the firm or with businesses represented by its lawyers. 

“Lawyers and law firms that engage in activities detrimental to critical American interests should not have access to our Nation’s secrets, nor should their conduct be subsidized by Federal taxpayer funds or contracts,” the order reads. 

The law firm issued a statement soon after the order was signed saying, “Anyone who knows Susman Godfrey knows we believe in the rule of law, and we take seriously our duty to uphold it. This principle guides us now. There is no question that we will fight this unconstitutional order.”

This isn’t the first law firm Trump has targeted since getting back into office.

Some other law firms targeted by the Trump administration include Perkins Coie, which has offices in Dallas and Austin, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, who have sued the administration over it.