The Trump administration will seek to enlist private sector law firms to defend police officers “unjustly” accused of wrongdoing.
In an executive order signed Monday, President Donald Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to help defend police officers named in civil rights lawsuits. According to the order, whatever system the Justice Department creates “shall include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance for such law enforcement officers.”
The order does not explicitly direct any particular law firm to do anything. However, following previous executive orders targeting a number of elite firms, nine have agreed to deals with the president and collectively agreed to provide $940 million in pro bono legal services to support the president’s priorities.