Justice Department suggests US agencies are free to disregard judge's order in law firm dispute [View all]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has suggested to federal agencies that they are free to disregard a judge’s ruling that halted enforcement of a White House executive order meant to punish a prominent law firm.

U.S. District Judge John Bates last month temporarily blocked provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order against the firm of Jenner & Block that called for its employees to be denied access to federal buildings and for federal contracts held by the firm or its clients to be reviewed and terminated.

The firm is among several prominent ones subject in recent weeks to similarly worded executive orders by the Republican president; some, like Jenner & Block, have sued over the orders, and others have reached settlements to avert being sanctioned by the White House.

In a letter notifying agency heads about the ruling, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House budget director Russell Vought criticized Bates as an “unelected district court judge” who has “invaded the policy-making and free speech prerogatives of the executive branch.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-law-firm-white-house-executive-order-31228bd5bac1fcabbb243b603e1ccb57