Democrats seek info on law firms' Trump deals

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By Karen Sloan

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REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Democratic lawmakers are pressing six major U.S. law firms to explain their dealings with President Donald Trump after four of them offered concessions to his administration to avoid punishing executive orders.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumental of Connecticut and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland criticized the deals that Milbank, Paul Weiss, Skadden Arps and Willkie Farr made with Trump in the lawmakers' April 6 letters to those firms.

Blumenthal and Raskin also sent letters to the chairs of Kirkland & Ellis and Sullivan & Cromwell, seeking more information about their "roles in facilitating the administration's unlawful coercion of other law firms." Spokespersons for five of the firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reporter Dave Thomas has more on the lawmakers' letters. 

REUTERS/Mike Scarcella/File Photo

President Donald Trump on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt a judge's order requiring his administration to return by the end of the day a Salvadoran man who the government has acknowledged was erroneously deported to El Salvador.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Friday ordered the administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia by the end of Monday, in response to a lawsuit filed by the man and his family. A federal appeals court declined on Monday to freeze the judge's order. Garcia—a Salvadoran migrant who lived in the U.S legally with a work permit—was deported in error last month when the government flew three planes of migrants alleged to have ties to violent gangs or immigration violations to the Central America country.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Sunday that a Justice Department attorney had been placed on leave after he failed to vigorously defend the government's handling of Garcia's deportation. 

Video tapes may be obsolete, but a 1988 law protecting the privacy of video tape renters continues to spark legal fights as judges grapple with how broadly the statute applies to technology today. The latest showdown came last week, when a divided 6th Circuit panel nixed a proposed class action against Paramount Global under the Video Privacy Protection Act. The decision sets up a circuit split, and may be ripe for U.S. Supreme Court review, Jenna Greene writes in On the Case. 

President Trump's sweeping tariffs package and China's retaliation have triggered fears of a global recession and spiraling trade war ... A second child died in Texas' measles outbreak ... Anti-Trump protesters gathered in Washington, other U.S. cities ... Iran-backed militias in Iraq are ready to disarm to avert Trump wrath ... A Palestinian journalist was killed in Gaza as Israel targets colleague ... Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla arrived in Italy for state visit ... The Sahara desert, once lush and green, was home to mysterious human lineage ... And our top photos of the day.

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com

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