Trump Administration Drops Defense of Law Firm Sanctions The Trump administration has decided to drop its defense of sanctions against a law firm that was accused of violating U.S. laws by working with foreign governments, according to people familiar with the matter. The move marks a significant shift in the government's stance on the case, which had been seen as a test of how aggressively the administration would enforce its rules on lobbying and political consulting firms. The law firm in question is Alston & Bird LLP, which was accused by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of violating U.S. sanctions by working with foreign governments that are subject to economic penalties. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Justice Department said only that the government "has decided not to appeal" the decision by a federal judge in Washington D.C. to lift the sanctions against Alston & Bird. The sanctions were imposed in 2017 after an investigation found that the law firm had worked with foreign governments that are subject to U.S. economic penalties, including Cuba and Venezuela. Lawyers for Alston & Bird argued that the sanctions were overly broad and harmed the firm's ability to continue practicing law. The judge agreed, ruling that the sanctions were "invalid" and ordering their lifting. The Trump administration had been expected to appeal the decision, but people familiar with the matter said that officials had been reevaluating the case in recent weeks. It is unclear what led to the change of heart, but some speculate that the administration may have realized that appealing the decision could lead to a further legal and...#Venezuela #Justice_Department #Alston_and_Bird_LLP #Trump_Administration #US_laws #Office_of_Foreign_Assets_Control #Treasury_Department #Washington_DC #Cuba
