[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 63 (Thursday, April 3, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 14549-14551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05845]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 63 / Thursday, April 3, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 14549]]
Executive Order 14250 of March 27, 2025
Addressing Risks From WilmerHale
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Background. My Administration is committed
to addressing the significant risks associated with law
firms, particularly so-called ``Big Law'' firms, that
engage in conduct detrimental to critical American
interests. Many firms take actions that threaten public
safety and national security, limit constitutional
freedoms, degrade the quality of American elections, or
undermine bedrock American principles. Moreover, law
firms regularly conduct this harmful activity through
their powerful pro bono practices, earmarking hundreds
of millions of their clients' dollars for destructive
causes, that often directly or indirectly harm their
own clients. Lawyers and law firms that engage in such
egregious conduct should not have access to our
Nation's secrets, nor should such conduct be subsidized
by Federal taxpayer funds or contracts.
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale)
is yet another law firm that has abandoned the
profession's highest ideals and abused its pro bono
practice to engage in activities that undermine justice
and the interests of the United States. For example,
WilmerHale engages in obvious partisan representations
to achieve political ends, supports efforts to
discriminate on the basis of race, backs the
obstruction of efforts to prevent illegal aliens from
committing horrific crimes and trafficking deadly drugs
within our borders, and furthers the degradation of the
quality of American elections, including by supporting
efforts designed to enable noncitizens to vote.
Moreover, WilmerHale itself discriminates against its
employees based on race and other categories prohibited
by civil rights laws, including through the use of
race-based ``targets.''
WilmerHale is also bent on employing lawyers who
weaponize the prosecutorial power to upend the
democratic process and distort justice. For example,
WilmerHale rewarded Robert Mueller and his colleagues--
Aaron Zebley, Mueller's ``top aide'' and ``closest
associate,'' and James Quarles--by welcoming them to
the firm after they wielded the power of the Federal
Government to lead one of the most partisan
investigations in American history. Mueller's
investigation epitomizes the weaponization of
government, yet WilmerHale claimed he ``embodies the
highest value of our firm and profession.'' Mueller's
``investigation'' upended the lives of public servants
in my Administration who were summoned before
``prosecutors'' with the effect of interfering in their
ability to fulfill the mandates of my first term
agenda. This weaponization of the justice system must
not be rewarded, let alone condoned.
Sec. 2. Security Clearance Review. (a) The Attorney
General, the Director of National Intelligence, and all
other relevant heads of executive departments and
agencies (agencies) shall immediately take steps
consistent with applicable law to suspend any active
security clearances held by individuals at WilmerHale,
pending a review of whether such clearances are
consistent with the national interest.
(b) The Office of Management and Budget shall
identify all Government goods, property, material, and
services, including Sensitive Compartmented Information
Facilities, provided for the benefit of WilmerHale. The
heads
[[Page 14550]]
of agencies providing such material or services shall,
to the extent permitted by law, expeditiously cease
such provision.
Sec. 3. Contracting. (a) To prevent the transfer of
taxpayer dollars to Federal contractors whose earnings
subsidize, among other things, activities that are not
aligned with American interests, including racial
discrimination, Government contracting agencies shall,
to the extent permissible by law, require Government
contractors to disclose any business they do with
WilmerHale and whether that business is related to the
subject of the Government contract.
(b) The heads of agencies shall review all
contracts with WilmerHale or with entities that
disclose doing business with WilmerHale under
subsection (a) of this section. To the extent permitted
by law, the heads of agencies shall:
(i) take appropriate steps to terminate any contract, to the maximum extent
permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation,
for which WilmerHale has been hired to perform any service; and
(ii) otherwise align their agency funding decisions with the interests of
the citizens of the United States; with the goals and priorities of my
Administration as expressed in executive actions, especially Executive
Order 14147 of January 20, 2025 (Ending the Weaponization of the Federal
Government); and as heads of agencies deem appropriate. Within 30 days of
the date of this order, agencies shall submit to the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget an assessment of contracts with WilmerHale or with
entities that do business with WilmerHale effective as of the date of this
order and any actions taken with respect to those contracts in accordance
with this order.
Sec. 4. Racial Discrimination. Nothing in this order
shall be construed to limit the action authorized by
section 4 of Executive Order 14230 of March 6, 2025
(Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP).
Sec. 5. Personnel. (a) The heads of agencies shall, to
the extent permitted by law, provide guidance limiting
official access from Federal Government buildings to
employees of WilmerHale when such access would threaten
the national security of or otherwise be inconsistent
with the interests of the United States. In addition,
the heads of agencies shall provide guidance limiting
Government employees acting in their official capacity
from engaging with WilmerHale employees to ensure
consistency with the national security and other
interests of the United States.
(b) Agency officials shall, to the extent permitted
by law, refrain from hiring employees of WilmerHale,
absent a waiver from the head of the agency, made in
consultation with the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management, that such hire will not threaten
the national security of the United States.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
[[Page 14551]]
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 27, 2025.
[FR Doc. 2025-05845
Filed 4-2-25; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P