Reps. April McClain Delaney, Dave Min Send Letters to Law Firms, Seeking Further Clarity on Deals with Administration

Reps. April McClain Delaney, Dave Min Send Letters to Law Firms, Seek Further Clarity on Deals with Administration

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representative April McClain Delaney (MD-06) and Dave Min (CA-47) sent follow-up letters to the nine major law firms that made deals with the Trump administration, asking them to either admit that they agreed to the White House’s terms or publicly disavow President Trump’s interpretation.

In April, Representatives Min and McClain Delaney sent letters demanding clarity on the legality of deals made between nine major law firms and the Trump administration. These firms agreed to provide nearly $1 billion in pro bono legal services in exchange for assurances they would not be targeted by the Administration. The responses the lawmakers received from the firms asserted that no federal or state laws, nor ethics rules, had been violated, and that the firms maintained full control over which pro bono clients and causes they would represent. However, in recent months, President Trump has publicly contradicted these claims, asserting that he can direct these pro bono legal services to support his tariff negotiations and other legal matters at his discretion.

Today, the Representatives–previously practicing attorneys–sent another letter, now asking the firms to disavow President Trump’s claims or disclose the full terms of their agreements with the Administration. The lawmakers warned that if the firms don’t speak up, it could look like they agree with the Administration’s claims, putting them at serious risk of significant civil and criminal liability, as well as disciplinary actions from the professional bar associations governing the attorneys and firms.

“As members of the United States House of Representatives, we took an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States. Many of the signatories to this letter are lawyers, and several of us have worked at major law firms. We cannot let the Trump Administration continue to undermine the rule of law. We strongly urge you to clarify your understanding of the terms of the [...] agreement and publicly disavow any and all terms that the President and members of his Administration have misinterpreted,” wrote Reps. McClain Delaney and Min.

The package of letters is available here. 

For updates, follow Rep. McClain Delaney at @RepAprilDelaney.

Congresswoman April McClain Delaney was elected in 2024 to serve Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany and Garrett Counties. In Congress, McClain Delaney is focused on improving US competitiveness and innovation, protecting our natural environment and championing policies that represent the values and priorities of Maryland’s 6th District.