Trump signs executive action targeting law firm representing former special counsel Jack Smith

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive action Tuesday targeting a prominent law firm that represents former special counsel Jack Smith. The memo strips Smith’s attorney of his security clearance as well as any other attorneys at the firm who assisted Smith while he was investigating Trump.

Covington and Burling LLP said it is representing Smith in a personal capacity, and a person familiar with the matter said there is no evidence the law firm played any part in Smith’s criminal investigations of Trump.

The memo Trump signed Tuesday — a major escalation in Trump’s targeting of those he believes to be his political enemies — also directs the Office of Management and Budget to review any government contracts held by the law firm.

“One law firm that provided pro-bono legal services to the special counsel’s office under Jack Smith’s leadership was Covington and Burling,” White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf said about the memo as Trump moved to sign it during a ceremony on Tuesday. “As a result of those actions, we’re now going to be suspending and putting under review the security clearances for the attorneys and employees at that firm who worked with Jack Smith’s team. And we’re going to continue holding the people who were responsible for the weaponization of government, who supported it, accountable for what they did.”

Trump asked Scharf about the plans to do this to other law firms and Scharf said that the administration was looking at a range of options to take against other law firms. Trump tossed the pen to an attendee and joked “Why don’t you give it to Jack Smith?” and called him a “deranged” individual.

A reporter asked Trump whether the action to strip the attorneys’ security clearances amounted to political targeting, but Trump cut the reporter off and said that he was the target.

“I’ve been targeted for four years longer than that. So, you don’t tell me about targeting?” Trump said. “I was the target of corrupt politicians for four years, and then four years after that. So don’t talk to me about targeting.”

A person familiar with Covington’s representation of Jack Smith responded to Trump’s action saying, “There is no evidence the firm itself played any role in Special Counsel Smith’s investigation of Trump — and no evidence their representation of Smith had anything to do with his official duties. Separately, Covington is not a contractor to the federal government.”

A spokesperson for the firm added that they recently agreed to represent Smith in an individual capacity and look forward to defending him.

“For more than 100 years, Covington has represented clients facing government investigations, consistent with the best traditions of the legal profession. We recently agreed to represent Jack Smith when it became apparent that he would become a subject of a government investigation. Covington serves as defense counsel to Jack Smith in his personal, individual capacity. We look forward to defending Mr. Smith’s interests and appreciate the trust he has placed in us to do so.”

As special counsel, Smith led probes into both Trump’s handling of classified material and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Both cases were dropped following Trump’s reelection in November due to a longstanding Justice Department policy prohibiting the prosecution of a sitting president.

Under Trump’s continual personal attacks, Smith defended his conduct as fully lawful, free of partisan influence and vital to the justice system.

In a letter before he stepped down, Smith personally denounced Trump for levying “laughable” and baseless attacks on the federal prosecutors who brought two criminal cases against him.