Thread by @DefiyantlyFree

🧵🧵 The Law Firms that Run DC

I see a lot of articles saying how President Trump is attacking law firms in Washington DC because he is vindictive. When in fact, it has nothing to do with being vindictive, and everything to do with the fact that they are acting like an extension of the Democratic Party.

This web shows how elite law firms in DC have become de facto political actors, coordinating with bureaucrats, Democratic campaigns, and activist groups to advance one side’s agenda while insulating allies from legal consequences.

1. Perkins Coie

Partisan Alignment: Strongly Democratic

Key Players: Marc Elias, Michael Sussmann

Involved In:

•Russiagate:

•Hired Fusion GPS on behalf of the Clinton campaign and DNC to create the Steele Dossier.

•Michael Sussmann was indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI about the source of Alfa Bank/Trump server claims (acquitted, but case exposed coordination between Clinton-linked lawyers and the intelligence community).

•Through Marc Elias, aggressively litigated to change election laws in battleground states pre-2020 (e.g., mail-in ballot rules, signature matching, ballot curing).

•Litigated against voter ID laws and redistricting efforts favoring GOP, using courts to alter rules under the guise of civil rights.

2. Elias Law Group

Partisan Alignment: 100% Democratic

Key Player: Marc Elias (founder, formerly at Perkins Coie)

Involved In:

•Election Lawfare:

•Filed hundreds of lawsuits between 2020–2024 aimed at changing ballot deadlines, preventing voter roll purges, and invalidating state-level election reforms.

•Sued states that passed voter integrity laws (Georgia, Texas, Arizona).

•Legal and strategic support for efforts to disqualify Trump from ballots under the 14th Amendment (Section 3).

3. WilmerHale

Partisan Alignment: Center-left establishment

Key Players: Robert Mueller, Jamie Gorelick

Involved In:

•Russiagate:

•Mueller was a WilmerHale partner before becoming special counsel.

•Several senior lawyers on Mueller’s team (Aaron Zebley, James Quarles) came from WilmerHale.

•Created a direct pipeline from a private DC firm to a politically charged investigation.

•WilmerHale defended companies and figures potentially affected by the Mueller investigation—raising questions about impartiality.

4. Latham & Watkins

Partisan Alignment: Progressive-leaning, deep resistance ties

Key Players: Kathryn Ruemmler (former Obama WH Counsel), multiple Obama-era appointees

Involved In:

•Lawfare Against Trump Policies:

•Litigated against Trump’s immigration, environmental, and regulatory rollbacks.

•Supported amicus briefs in support of January 6 prosecutions.

•Close ties to Biden DOJ officials (Ruemmler has known connections to current White House legal networks).

5. Covington & Burling

Partisan Alignment: Deep Obama/Biden ties

Key Players: Eric Holder, Lanny Breuer

Involved In:

•Russiagate/Deep State Entrenchment:

•Holder and Breuer returned to Covington after serving in the Obama DOJ.

•Firm has represented major tech and surveillance companies with ties to federal investigations.

•Defended figures in the intelligence community during investigations into FISA abuse and surveillance.

6. Debevoise & Plimpton

Partisan Alignment: Institutional left

Key Player: Mary Jo White (Obama SEC Chair), Andrew Ceresney

Involved In:

•Representing Hunter Biden in federal tax and firearms-related investigations.

•Helped negotiate controversial plea agreement that collapsed in 2023.

•Close ties to DOJ officials overseeing investigations of Hunter Biden. Scrutiny over sweetheart deals and unusual coordination.

7. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Partisan Alignment: Progressive legal elite

Key Players: Jeh Johnson (Obama DHS), Loretta Lynch (Obama AG)

Involved In:

•Represented progressive groups in redistricting and voting rights lawsuits.

•No comparable representation for free speech or conservative plaintiffs, reinforcing political asymmetry.

•Consulted by Democratic-aligned NGOs on how to frame post-2020 election audit challenges as “threats to democracy.”

8. Jenner & Block

Partisan Alignment: J6-focused, anti-Trump

Key Players: Donald Verrilli (Obama SG), Ian Gershengorn

Involved In:

•January 6 Committee Staffing:

•Provided legal support and volunteers to the J6 Committee.

•Ties to lawfare efforts to charge Trump advisors and allies.
•Worked behind the scenes with groups like Lawfare Blog and Brookings to craft legal theories around “insurrection” and “disqualification.”

9. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Partisan Alignment: Corporate Dem establishment

Key Players: Greg Craig (former Obama WH Counsel, indicted)

Involved In:

•Ukraine Lobbying Scandal:

•Paid millions by pro-Russian Ukrainian interests via Paul Manafort.

•Fined for failing to register under FARA. No major prosecutions of Skadden lawyers, despite harsh treatment of Manafort.

•Avoided accountability while similar conduct was used to hammer Trump affiliates.