By Kiera Howard 
Tuesday afternoon in the Oval Office, and Trump’s got that look. You know the one. He’s about to drop a bomb on someone who crossed him.
This time it’s Covington & Burling in the crosshairs. Big white-shoe law firm. The kind of place where former attorneys general hang their shingles. They made one mistake: they gave Jack Smith free legal help. Now they’re paying for it.
Table of Contents
The Memo That Shook K Street
“Deranged Jack Smith signing,” Trump called it, waving his pen around for the cameras. Real subtle, right? But the paperwork he signed was anything but funny for Peter Koski and every other Covington lawyer who touched Smith’s case.
Three things happened the second that ink dried:
- Security clearances? Gone
- Government contracts? Under review
- Federal building access? Forget about it
One Covington source told me they’ve never seen anything like it. “We’re talking about lawyers who’ve held clearances for decades,” they said. “Now they can’t even read half their clients’ files.”
Quick Timeline: How It All Went Down
Early February 2025: Smith’s disclosure shows Covington gave him £113,000 in pro bono help
February 25: Trump signs memo yanking Covington clearances
March 6: Perkins Coie targeted
March 14: Paul, Weiss hit, then cuts £32 million deal
March 25-27: Jenner & Block and WilmerHale orders drop
April: Nine firms settle for £750+ million total
June 16: American Bar Association files lawsuit
Why Trump Went Nuclear
The trigger was classic Trump grudge material. Smith’s financial disclosure showed Covington handed him £113,000 in pro bono services. For Trump, that was picking a side. His side lost that fight, and now it’s payback time.
The official White House statement dresses it up with talk about “weaponization” and “partisan games.” But any K Street veteran will tell you what this really is: a message. Help Trump’s enemies, lose your clearance.
Covington’s Careful Dance
The firm’s response was textbook damage control. They’re representing Smith “in his personal, individual capacity,” their flack said. But that’s cold comfort for lawyers who suddenly can’t do half their job.
See, in DC’s national security bar, clearances are oxygen. You need them for:
- CFIUS work (those foreign investment reviews)
- Defence contractor cases
- Anything touching classified intel
- Most federal courthouse secure rooms
“It’s professional death,” one cleared attorney told me over drinks last week. Asked me not to use his name. Can’t blame him.
The Hit List Keeps Growing
Covington was just the appetiser. By March, Trump’s team was serving up executive orders like a prix fixe menu of revenge:
March 6: Perkins Coie gets whacked for old “Steele Dossier” connections
March 14: Paul, Weiss takes a hit for hiring Trump prosecutor Mark Pomerantz
March 25: Jenner & Block’s crime? Having Mueller’s pit bull Andrew Weissmann on payroll
March 27: WilmerHale gets torched because Mueller used to work there
Same recipe each time. Pull clearances, freeze contracts, make life hell.
When Judges Started Swinging Back
Federal judges don’t usually drop bombs from the bench. But these executive orders lit a fuse under some black robes.
Judge Beryl Howell compared it to McCarthyism. Actually used the phrase “Red Scare” in her ruling. Said the orders cast a “chilling harm of blizzard proportion” over the whole legal profession.
Judge Richard Leon went harder. Called the whole thing “unconstitutional in its entirety.” His best line? “If you take on causes disfavoured by President Trump, you will be punished!”
Bloomberg Law had the blow-by-blow as judges started slapping down orders left and right.
The Protection Racket
Then came the deals. Paul, Weiss chairman Brad Karp scored a sitdown with Trump. Walked out promising £32 million in free legal work for Trump-approved causes. Plus they’d drop diversity hiring. Just like that.
Skadden went pre-emptive. Offered £80 million in pro bono work before Trump even looked their way. Started a stampede. Nine major firms ended up paying over £750 million in what insiders called “pro bono payola.”
Europe Hits Back
The blowback went international fast. German Bar Association fired off a warning: US firms cutting deals with Trump might violate German ethics rules. Translation? They could lose European practice rights. Reuters had the story as 18 international bar groups joined the pile-on.
Bondi’s Enforcement Squad
While Trump was swinging his pen around, his AG Pam Bondi was building something uglier inside Main Justice. She calls it the “Weaponization Working Group.” Everyone else calls it what it is: a hit squad.
Their targets?
- Everything Jack Smith touched
- Alvin Bragg’s shop in Manhattan
- Letitia James’s operation in New York
- Any prosecutor who went after January 6 defendants
Career folks at DOJ tell me morale’s in the toilet. “Nobody knows who’s getting investigated next,” one prosecutor said. “We’re all just keeping our heads down.”
The Deep Freeze
Six months later, DC’s legal market is spooked. Big firms won’t touch political cases. Whistleblowers can’t find lawyers. The American Bar Association – the ABA! – couldn’t find a single major firm willing to take their case against the administration.
One hiring partner at an AmLaw 50 firm laid it out for me: “My management committee won’t let us near anything that smells political. Not worth risking the whole firm.”
The Questions Everyone’s Asking
So these Covington lawyers are screwed?
Pretty much. They can still practice, but forget national security work. That’s career-ending for specialists.
Trump can just do this?
Presidents control clearances, but judges are saying not like this. Using them for revenge crosses a line.
How bad is the damage?
Bad. Dozens of lawyers at Covington alone. Hundreds across all the targeted firms.
What happens to Covington’s current cases?
They’re scrambling. Some matters need new counsel with clearances. Others are trying workarounds. Clients are nervous.
Can lawyers get their clearances back?
Technically yes, through appeals or court orders. But that takes months or years. Most can’t wait that long.
Are firms still taking controversial clients?
Barely. The Covington security clearance revocation scared everyone. Most firms won’t touch anything remotely political now.
What’s next?
More firms will get hit. Bank on it. Anyone who crossed Trump or his allies is updating their LinkedIn.
Is anybody fighting back?
The ABA finally filed suit in June. Some firms are suing. Others are just trying to survive.
Taking Stock
CBS News caught Trump’s reaction when a reporter asked about targeting lawyers: “I’ve been targeted for four years… don’t talk to me about targeting.”
That quote tells you everything. This is personal. And it’s not stopping.
The security clearance war has changed how Washington law works. Firms are picking sides or trying to hide. Some are fighting in court. Others are writing big checks and hoping Trump looks elsewhere.
Need a breather from DC drama? The Greek islands are calling. Beats watching your clearance get pulled.
What It All Means
Trump’s clearance suspensions at Covington sent a message every lawyer in town heard loud and clear: cross me and pay. Represent my enemies? Lose your livelihood.
Six months in, that message has reshaped the legal landscape. The question isn’t whether more firms will get hit. It’s who’s next, and whether anyone will be left to defend the next Jack Smith.
Because that’s the real game here. Not just punishing Covington for backing Smith. It’s making sure nobody dares to do it again.