My Lawsuit Against Trump's Unconstitutional Punishments Targeted at Lawyers

On April 15, 2025, I filed a federal lawsuit against Donald Trump and other officials, challenging their unconstitutional punishments, retaliation and threats against lawyers.

Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly retaliated against, threatened and extorted lawyers who have opposed him. He has attacked specific lawyers and entire law firms connected to the Mueller investigation. These actions are calculated to deter lawyers from filing lawsuits against him and to obstruct investigations into his illegal activities. Trump is actively silencing, and attempting to silence, his critics through unconstitutional orders, penalties and threats. Moreover, he is using these tactics to extort many hundreds of millions of dollars in tribute and ransom from law firms. Trump receives these extortion payments indirectly through contributions and services to groups and political causes that he favors.

One reason that I have standing to sue Trump for these actions is that there is a substantial and credible threat that he will retaliate against me because I have a long history as his adversary.

Between 2016 and 2020, I launched a fusillade of more than 25 legal complaints, with state and federal agencies, against Trump and his associates. These complaints exposed numerous violations of law by his administration, campaign, businesses and foundations. Several of these complaints were connected to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections.

In retaliating against, threatening and extorting lawyers, Trump is betraying his oath to uphold the Constitution while violating our freedom of speech and our right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Rather than waiting for Trump to retaliate against me, I have filed a federal lawsuit against him. Trump’s crusade against lawyers like me, who have been his adversaries, puts me in his crosshairs. He is likely to pull the trigger at any time.

As a result of Trump’s unlawful and criminal violations of our rights, I am asking the federal court to issue orders preventing Trump from imposing penalties on me and extorting payments from lawyers for his political causes. Additionally, I’m asking the court to deliver a judgment declaring that his attacks on lawyers are unconstitutional. I also intend to amend my complaint to ask the court to issue a nationwide injunction against Trump's persecution of lawyers.

Trump is is attacking the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, the military, NATO, scientific institutions, universities, independent news media and lawyers. We can limit the destruction of these institutions if we gather our courage and take steps that are within our power to defy Trump’s threats, intimidation and coercion. I hope that my lawsuit will encourage other lawyers across America to sue Trump and to stand up against his attacks on our precious freedoms and constitutional rights.