Doug Emhoff publicly criticizes his law firm for coming to agreement with Trump administration

[ificandream]

Source: CNN

By Jake Tapper, CNN
Updated 5:48 PM EDT, Sat April 5, 2025
CNN
—
Speaking at a charity gala dinner Thursday night in Los Angeles, former second gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned the decision by his law firm to preemptively come to an arrangement with the Trump administration to avoid an executive order targeting the firm, sources tell CNN.

Emhoff is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which this week agreed to a deal with President Donald Trump, which the president said includes the firm providing at least $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his second term. It’s the third example of a high-profile firm cutting a deal with the White House as Trump has targeted firms that have done work with his perceived political enemies.

Emhoff told the crowd at the Annual Dinner Gala for the legal aid group Bet Tzedek he had told the firm he wanted to fight the threat of an executive order he found unconstitutional but had been overruled, the sources said.

On Tuesday, Trump announced on Truth Social he had come to an agreement with the firm. The agreement, Trump stated, also means the firm “will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences” and “will not deny representation to clients … because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/05/politics/doug-emhoff-criticizes-his-law-firm-for-coming-to-agreement-with-trump-administraiton/index.html

[elleng]

1. Must be a disappointment for him, as he played a major role in the firm, I think.

[Bengus81]

18. He's a partner and should quit.............

NY Times: Doug Emhoff to Return to Corporate Law

The husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris will advise companies in crisis as a partner at the law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

[displacedvermoter]

2. Condemnation

but he will still take their money. I guess that funds his charity gala dealings, right?

Terrible.

[mahina]

14. You don't know that. Maybe he's planning to leave, maybe he has contracts

that mean, he can’t stay. What do you expect exactly? Would it have been better if he didn’t say what he feels? Why would that be?

I think it’s a good idea to put the cynicism aside for just a little while here and let the man figure out how to adapt to this gigantic earthquake under him. After he was attacked in the night with a hammer by an insane hate filled trump zombie who almost fucking killled him? He’s not allowed to say this without being accused of hypocrisy?

[displacedvermoter]

16. It was Nancy Pelosi's husband who was attacked

not Kamala Harris' husband.

He seems to have said what he intended to say and I would be surprised if he does much else. I believe his wife wants to run for governor, no unnecessary boat rocking at this point. Sorry I am cynical, I believe the times warrant it.

[mahina]

17. I got them mixed up, so you're right about that but

I also disagree with you on the cynicism deeply, though we certainly are working and living under a corrupt system, acid cynicism, and somebody speaking out against their own firm doing what they did that is helping t knock down the columns that hold up this society, is really deeply unhelpful as far as I’m concerned.

Also I still don’t know what you want him to do. I was wrong about the guy getting attacked with a hammer, but the rest of the questions?

Thanks

[displacedvermoter]

19. I know what I would do, especially if I was

as financially secure as he and his wife are.
No other answers I can come up with.

[mahina]

20. I'm really curious what you would do. What if you have ongoing cases and commitments.

With clients in progress? Are you sure that he isn’t moving towards that decision?

[msongs]

3. yet he is still working for the appeasers nt

[hamsterjill]

4. I'm sorry. I really like Doug and the way he handled being the first, second gentleman; however...

He needs to resign. Talk is cheap.

[ificandream]

5. Actually, maybe it's best he stay there for now.

You gotta figure that Trump might have purposely targeted his law firm to hurt him and Kamala and, I'd guess, force him to quit. You know, anything to stick it to the libs. If he doesn't, he still has a chance to do something good inside the firm. Maybe he'll end up quitting anyway, but I like the fact that he might be doing something right now that Trump didn't want.

[hamsterjill]

8. Your point is a valid consideration

But would YOU want to be partners with others who basically sold your wife out? I mean, in my opinion, whatever Trump has done, it's to get back at anyone who dare oppose him. Kamala certainly did.

But the partners of the law firm should have stood behind Doug, and they evidently did not. I'd want out of there and I'd take my business with me.

[ificandream]

15. You have a valid point, too.

I guess we'll have to see what happens.

[Woodycall]

10. Yes!

[SupportSanity]

6. $100 Million dollars in pro - bono work? Helping fight all the legal battles against him and his kind?

So that would effectively mean that they are now working for the other side.

It also means that they are paying to work for the other side.

[ificandream]

7. That was kind of my point.

Trump did that on purpose to hurt Emhoff and Kamala Harris. I'm not sure Emhoff can do anything -- maybe he can, maybe he can't - but it looks like Trump wanted to force him out. So far, he hasn't got what he wanted.

And if I understand law firms, Emhoff doesn't have to do any work for Trump if he doesn't want to.

[Woodycall]

9. He's a fucking multi-millionaire

He can fucking resign in protest and still live a goddamn "golden" life FFS! Fuck them all!

[PSPS]

11. Actually, his law firm likely committed a federal felony

The way I understand it, the deal went down this way: Trump didn't go to them and ask/demand. They went to Trump and offered in advance. That's acting in furtherance of a crime (i.e., bribery, public corruption, what have you.) A federal prosecutor could likely get a conviction but, of course, that will never happen with Bondi.

[creon]

12. Resign

He needs to resign efective immediately.
He will start to empty his office the next day.

[Mosby]

13. His mistake is thinking any of his partners have intergrity.

Lawyers are parasites. They aren't here to help anyone, please.