The high-powered law firm where the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris works has agreed to provide $100 million in free legal services for the Trump administration, marking another humiliation for Harris after her decisive election loss to Trump last fall.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher, which employs Harris' husband Doug Emhoff, is the third elite law firm to make an agreement with the White House to avoid sanctions.
It's the latest capitulation from the elite legal profession, or "Big Law," which has skewed to the left for years. The Trump administration has sought to bring the politicized legal profession to heel, threatening sanctions against firms with a history of engaging in "lawfare."
Wilkie Farr provided tens of millions of dollars in pro bono work for two Georgia women who won an eye-popping settlement in their defamation suit against Rudy Giuliani, a top Trump ally who was separately disbarred over his 2020 election advocacy.
Wilkie Farr also employs former investigators who worked on the politically motivated January 6th committee, which recommended criminal charges against Trump for "insurrection."
According to the Trump administration, Wilkie Farr will provide $100 million in legal services to advance causes across the political spectrum, such as helping veterans, fighting antisemitism, and ending the weaponization of the justice system.
Wilkie Farr also agreed to stop discriminating against job applicants on the basis of politics and race. The firm will desist from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy and hire based on merit. Finally, the firm committed to providing legal representation for all, regardless of their political beliefs.
"Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP proactively reached out to President Trump and his Administration, offering their decisive commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession. The President is delivering on his promises of eradicating Partisan Lawfare in America, and restoring Liberty and Justice FOR ALL," the White House said in a statement.
According to sources, Emhoff was opposed to the firm's decision and encouraged them to resist Trump.
“The rule of law is under attack. Democracy is under attack. And so, all of us lawyers need to do what we can to push back on that,” Emhoff told students at a Georgetown University event Tuesday.
Two other top firms, Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps, have reached similar agreements with the White House.
The White House is engaged in a multi-front legal war to defend Trump's agenda, which has faced a series of setbacks in front of activist judges.
Courts have blocked Trump from targeting certain law firms such as Perkins Coie, which became a household name over its role in procuring the notorious Trump-Russia dossier on behalf of Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.
