In March, President Trump sanctioned for major law firms: In March, President Trump sanctioned four major law firms: Perkins Coie LLP, Jenner & Block LLP, and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. The sanctions include the loss of access to federal facilities, federal employees, and suspension of security clearances.
On Monday, April 14, two of the bigger gun control groups, the Brady Bunch and Giffords, issued a press release accusing Trump of getting revenge, stifling free speech [Wait! Didn’t Biden do that?], and making the creeks run uphill.
“Emma Brown , Giffords’ executive director, said; Targeting law firms based on the clients they represent is unconstitutional and anti-democratic, running afoul of the First Amendment and undermining the rule of law.”
Brady president Kris Brown chimed in: “By targeting these law firms, President Trump is trying to silence groups that he does not agree with through intimidation and retribution,” said Brady President Kris Brown.“Non-profits like Brady that rely on these firms to defend life-saving gun laws and hold negligent gun industry actors accountable will suffer the consequences – as will everyday Americans whose livelihoods are under threat by our nation’s gun violence crisis. .”
“Life-saving gun laws?” Based on more than a decade of research, we can say with great confidence none of the laws gun control is pushing could be called ‘life-saving’ with a straight face. Constitutional carry saves as many or more lives.
Stripped of the noble-sounding fluff, the real reason for their screeching like scorched cats is likely the loss of countless hours of pro bono (free) or discounted legal services. That’s a serious threat to the kind of lawfare Brady and Giffords practice. It could get worse: The sanctioned law firms could decide to make peace with the President for the nearly four years left in his term, leaving gun control groups high and dry.
The threat is especially critical for the Brady Bunch. According the group’s Form 990 filing for 2023, Brady lost $269,479. Revenues totaled $4,808,537 but expenses came in at $5,078,016.
Brady, formed about 50 years ago as the National Council to Control Handguns, needs to consider either calling it a day or their their lot in with another group. We think they should go with Door #1.
But Brady has gotten other spiffs as well, such as the Ad Council’s assistance in creating the ‘Family Fire’ campaign that was more about the campaign than gun safety.
It’s lot harder to justify freebies for Giffords, which reported $12,072,716 in revenues in 2023. Ironically, 2023 was the only year in the past five with a deficit: $121,006. In the other four years, revenues exceeded expenses by an average of $2,310,808, enough to pay some significant legal fees. Kind of hard to have much sympathy when the legal gravy train stops.
“Pro bono” literally means “for the good.” Considering gun control’s agenda and tactics, pro bono is wasted on them.
