President Trump plans to punish a prominent Washington law firm that has aided the former special counsel Jack Smith, seeking to strip security clearances from lawyers and end any federal government work the firm may have, according to people familiar with the matter.
The proposal, signed by Mr. Trump on Thursday, targeted the international white-shoe law firm Covington & Burling, which employs high-profile Democratic lawyers who worked in the Obama and Biden administrations.
The White House did not immediately release the text of any such directive, but Mr. Trump described it to reporters during the signing of executive orders and offered to send the pen he used to Mr. Smith, according to reporters present.
The memo is a breathtaking escalation of Mr. Trump’s effort to employ the vast powers of the presidency against Mr. Smith and the team of prosecutors and federal law enforcement officials who worked for him — extending that campaign to those who have provided Mr. Smith pro bono legal representation.
According to a disclosure filed with the Justice Department shortly before resigning as special counsel ahead of Mr. Trump’s return to office, Mr. Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, said that he had received $140,000 worth of free legal advice from Covington to help him prepare for investigations and legal action by Mr. Trump’s allies.
The written directive was expected to revoke any security clearance held by Peter Koski, the Covington lawyer representing Mr. Smith, and any other members of the firm who may have participated in such work.
It was expected to cancel any Covington legal work on behalf of the government, though it is unclear if the firm represents the United States on any matters. Mr. Trump’s written directive also was expected to call for a review of any government contracts with Covington, though it is unclear if there are any.
Covington is not a contractor for the federal government, according to a person familiar with the firm’s business.
“For more than 100 years, Covington has represented clients facing government investigations, consistent with the best traditions of the legal profession,” a spokesman for the firm said in a statement. “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.”
Ed Martin, the Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, had issued an ominous warning on social media shortly after Mr. Smith’s filing.
“Save your receipts, Smith and Covington. We’ll be in touch soon. #NoOneIsAboveTheLaw,” wrote Mr. Martin, a right-wing political activist who supported Mr. Trump’s mass clemency for Capitol rioters.
As special counsel, Mr. Smith oversaw two criminal indictments against Mr. Trump in 2022. Those include investigations of Mr. Trump’s retention of classified documents after his first term and of his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
