Trump has now extorted $350 million in pro bono work for right-wing causes from Big Law firms. That's enough to fund three-and-a-half Heritage Foundations. - ThreadSky

radleybalko.bsky.social • 5 days ago

Trump has now extorted $350 million in pro bono work for right-wing causes from Big Law firms. That's enough to fund three-and-a-half Heritage Foundations.

Reposted from Anna Bower

Another law firm capitulates amid Trump’s pressure campaign.

Milbank LLP has agreed to a deal with Trump, per a post on Trump’s Truth Social account.

Comments

joshfrai.bsky.social•5 days ago

What everybody said: "Don't Obey In Advance!"
What law firms heard: "Don't! Obey in Advance."

kmacdermott.bsky.social•5 days ago

Potentially an imposing defense for future investigations and lawsuits, too

bwsnorth.bsky.social•5 days ago

Do we know what other payments they may have made?
is there any way to find out?

almagestsf.bsky.social•5 days ago

The question I keep wondering about is What are these firms afraid that Trump will take away from them? What business, what dirty secrets, are they trying to preserve that is worth this amount of money?

abbie4science.bsky.social•5 days ago

well, hopefully they will be very very bad at the work....

airplaney.bsky.social•5 days ago

The majority of Americans have never dealt with these big law firms. They live on reputation but rarely advance, let alone practice, law.

Rather, the firms print money filing motion upon motion, billing hour upon hour upon hour.

A thug threatened to strangle the cashflow, so of course they caved.

oblivionwithbells.com•5 days ago

asthepalacesburn.bsky.social•5 days ago

I do have to wonder, what if they just do a terrible job?

gm0rk.bsky.social•5 days ago

2026 2L going to OCR: How's work at Paul Weiss?

PW Associate: I kinda wish I'd applied to a place that wasn't having me represent Nick Fuentes in suing companies to segregate their bathrooms.

bayla5280.bsky.social•5 days ago

Serious question - what happens when 47 leaves office? Are the firms still obligated to provide pro bono? If so, only for causes POTUS deems worthy? The actuarial tables are going to pay off at some point and it seems like law firms don't get it.

billiecat.bsky.social•5 days ago

"pro bono"

ellejir59.bsky.social•5 days ago

I am sure that there are plenty of bright, young, FedSoc member associates at these Big Law firms who will be happy to do pro bono work for RW causes. Unfortunately.

daglock.bsky.social•5 days ago

Whores for Trump.

jockyfox.bsky.social•5 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/rbreich.bsky.social/post/3llu2apahoc2b

leibovitz.bsky.social•5 days ago

Fine print: "our hourly rate for valuing pro bono services is $100 million per hour"

jgshrampworth.bsky.social•5 days ago

This is gross

pcollirigger.bsky.social•5 days ago

How is it that Trump can use the powers WE gave him as our President to extract political favors? I feel like there are a half-dozen ways that this should be illegal.

pre3chorded.bsky.social•5 days ago

It's a conundrum... Trump gets $350 million in free legal work, but the people doing it are so fucking soft they can't even stand up to blackmail from fascists like Trump. It's like winning a Tesla Truck.

ninjamonkky.bsky.social•5 days ago

Sure, but you have to subtract the graft, hookers, and Adderall, Trumpland will skim.

elmonoenano.bsky.social•5 days ago

It's so great these rich assholes can donate $350 mil in legal services for the right wing, who have no problem finding millionaires and billionaires already willing to pay for the services, when congress only allocates $560 total for the entire nation for poor people.

kathrynnicholskc1.bsky.social•5 days ago

Isn't this just plain old garden variety extortion? Typical Trump. He's always wanted to be a mob boss.

kwotebel.bsky.social•5 days ago

Extorted yes, voluntarily offered as well.

sstan99.bsky.social•5 days ago

Godfather version 2025

reliablenarrator.bsky.social•5 days ago

1972: Woltz
2025: Waltz

petera2022.bsky.social•5 days ago

How pathetic they all are

n83z01qbui.bsky.social•5 days ago

@nick-carmody.bsky.social ⚖️

bweiny.bsky.social•5 days ago

If they were trying to normalize this insane lawlessness ASAP what would they be doing differently? They should be forced to answer that.

jim0novak.bsky.social•5 days ago

Honestly, there’s so much money in this country pushing billionaires’ agendas that we may have reached the maximum influence of cash to overcome public revulsion against objectively harmful policy.

What issue is there that more money is going to push over the finish line? A market in newborns?

grungehamster.bsky.social•5 days ago

"But what is he going to do with 35 hours of pro bono work from major law firms?"

Insert rimshot here.

caliwash83.bsky.social•5 days ago

@pattymurray.bsky.social, @cantwell.senate.gov, @jayapal.house.gov, these agreements appear to violate the Anti-Deficiency Act as the government is prohibited except in very limited circumstances from receiving services for free. Would $350 million in free legal services violate this act?

caliwash83.bsky.social•5 days ago

Please push for investigations into the legality of these agreements.

continentaldivide.bsky.social•5 days ago

Can we hope that at least one of these white-shoe firms will intentionally provide scuffed-loafer service?

thinkitthrough.bsky.social•5 days ago

Crook

brooksie1.bsky.social•5 days ago

He needs good, but shameless, lawyers to fight all of the suits brought against him. A parking lot attorney just isn't going to cut it.

yeetski.bsky.social•5 days ago

Zuck there today to be buttered up to buy Truth Social stock?

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•5 days ago

This is all completely illegal, right? Like, yes I get it, but we can’t lose sight of the main point which is this is just pure raw naked corruption, right?

borednoodle.bsky.social•5 days ago

Just like Trump, expect these firms to not live up to their end of the bargain (which in this case is a good thing). Any one of them would have a good legal argument for why these contracts are not legitimate or enforceable - they were all signed as a result of obvious coercion.

macca77.bsky.social•5 days ago

Really gross

mjg5.bsky.social•5 days ago

The lawyers, the ones that should know and respect the constitution, are the people giving in to a dictatorship in exchange for money. Not what I expected from them.

elmonoenano.bsky.social•5 days ago

The legal field continually fails in this regard. Thurgood Marshall's team was only 8 attorneys against almost the entire legal establishment of the south. Time and again, the greatest accomplishments in law are a few dedicated attorneys against almost the entire rest of the state and profession.

freudobaggage.bsky.social•5 days ago

It’s amusing how easily confused people can get about the term “Law” Firm, as though it were actually in the business of the Law. No, no, it’s in the business of sucking money out of people’s pockets USING the Law. Big difference.

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