‘Target on their back’: Panicked Trump allies scramble for lawyers ahead of midterms

Trump administration officials are calling law firms in anticipation of Democrats winning the House and possibly the Senate in November, expecting to be investigated, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal reported that people who work for President Donald Trump, from cabinet secretaries to mid-level staffers, are seeking legal advice as they brace for an “avalanche of investigations” next year if Democrats take one or both chambers.

“The calls started sporadically in June and have picked up in frequency since then,” Judd Stone, co-founder of the Austin, Texas-based firm Stone Hilton, told the paper. Stone said cabinet-level officials and agency heads have been exploring whether they want a lawyer working solely in their best interest. At the same time, the Justice Department plays a leading role in defending the administration.

Lawyers told the Journal the inquiries "signal unease" that Democrats will probe everything from alleged pay-to-play pardons to the Kennedy Center renovation and Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. "Conflict-of-interest rules mean one firm is unlikely to represent several staffers at once," so senior officials are scrambling to lock in preferred counsel, according to a prominent lawyer familiar with the situation.

Steve Roberts, a partner at Lex Politica, told the Journal his firm is also hearing from Fortune 500 companies and startups.

“If they have been supportive of this administration, they know there is a possibility that there is a target on their back,” he said.

Susanne Grooms, a Cooley partner and former chief counsel to the House Oversight Committee, said corporate clients are seeking advice on preparing for potential investigations.

Democrats on the House Oversight and Senate Judiciary committees "have already sent letters" the Journal described as "a road map." House members wrote to people and entities tied to the administration, including Jared Kushner, Kennedy Center leadership, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and individuals pardoned by Trump. They also targeted Donald Trump Jr. over a Russian businessman’s reported financing of a wedding celebration.

Lawyers see the letters as precursors to subpoenas, with probes potentially starting as soon as February, the Journal reported.

“Democrats are much more savvy this time around than the first time,” said Ashley Callen, co-chair of Jenner & Block’s congressional-investigations practice.