Harry Litman - Judge Howell Calls Out Trump's Lies
Only 30 seconds into the government’s oral argument before Judge Beryl Howell on Wednesday, the judge rebuked DOJ lawyer Chad Mizelle: “Let’s not play games.”
It was a sharp indication of what was to come in Howell’s ruling on a challenge to a Trump executive order, "Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP," brought by the law firm Perkins Coie (“Perkins”).
As soon as the hearing ended, Howell—known for her sharp, no-nonsense handling of politically charged cases—began to read her opinion from the bench. To nobody’s surprise, it was a forceful rebuke of the government's efforts—really Trump's personal efforts—to harm the Perkins firm.
Trump's order sought to blackball the firm in various ways—suspending its lawyers’ security clearances, terminating their government contracts, limiting their access to federal buildings, and taking steps to terminate contracts with other businesses that had retained the firm.
https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/judge-howell-calls-out-trumps-lies