Attorney General Charity Clark held a Town Hall on Tuesday, March 18 at 5:30 PM in Montpelier. A recording of the event is available from ORCA Media here.
Lawsuits Filed by Attorney General Clark Against the Trump Administration
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Date Filed
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Case Information |
Subject of Lawsuit |
Case Updates
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05/09/2025 |
Lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's fake “national energy emergency” under the National Emergencies Act. See press release. | ||
| 05/07/2025 | State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Transportation, No. 2:25-cv-00848, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington |
Lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's termination of billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. See press release. |
05/07/2025: The Plaintiff states filed a motion for preliminary injunction. See motion. |
| 05/05/2025 | Lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's dismantling of the Department of Health and Human Services. See press release. | ||
| 04/29/2025 | Lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s termination of AmeriCorps grants and the dismantling of the agency though an 85% reduction of its workforce. See press release. | 05/06/2025: The plaintiff states filed a motion for preliminary injunction. See motion. | |
| 04/25/2025 | State of New York v. U.S. Department of Education, No. 1:25-cv-11116, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts |
Lawsuit against the the Trump administration, challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s threat to withhold federal funding from state and local agencies that refuse to abandon lawful programs and policies that promote equal access to education in K-12 classrooms across the nation. See press release. |
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| 04/23/2025 | State of Oregon v. Donald Trump; Department of Homeland Security, No:1-25-cv-00077, U.S. Court of International Trade |
Lawsuit against the Trump Administration, challenging four of President Trump’s executive orders that claim the power to increase tariffs worldwide without congressional action. See press release. |
05/07/2025: The plaintiff states filed a motion for preliminary injunction. See motion. |
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04/04/2025 |
Lawsuit against the Trump Administration to stop the dismantling of federal agencies that support libraries, museums, minority-owned businesses, and workers. See press release. |
05/06/2025: The Court granted the plaintiff states' motion for preliminary injunction. See press release. 04/18/2025: A hearing on the plaintiff states' motion for preliminary injunction occurred in federal court. The States await the court's order. 04/14/2025: The Trump Administration filed it's opposition to the motion for preliminary injunction. 04/09/2025: The parties stipulated to convert the plaintiff states' motion for temporary restraining order to a motion for preliminary injunction. |
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04/03/2025 |
Legal challenge of the Trump Administration's Elections Executive Order seeking to unlawfully impose sweeping voting restrictions. See press release. |
05/05/2025: Plaintiff states filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to halt implementation of the Executive Order. See press release. | |
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03/13/2025 |
Lawsuit against the Trump Administration to stop the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. See press release. |
04/25/2025: A hearing on the motion for preliminary injunction occurred in federal court. The States await the court's order. 03/24/2025: Plaintiff states filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block mass layoffs and the elimination of core services at the Education Department. See press release. |
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| 03/06/2025 | Lawsuit filed against numerous federal agencies for conducting illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees. See press release. |
As of 05/05/2025: The lower court is still considering the Trump Administration's motion to dismiss. 04/09/2025: The Fourth Circuit orders a stay of the lower court's preliminary injunction. In response, the plaintiff states immediately request administrative stay of that decision to request en banc review. 04/02/2025: The Trump Administration appealed the preliminary injunction order to the Fourth Circuit and later requested the court stay the lower court's preliminary injunction pending appeal. 04/01/2025: A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, protecting federal probationary employees who live or work in the plaintiff states and orders 20 federal agencies to reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees while the court case continues. 03/21/2025: A panel of federal judges denied the Trump Administration's request for a stay, which--had the request been granted--would have paused the rehiring of federal employees. 03/13/2025: A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order for 18 federal agencies, ordering the Trump Administration to stop the illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00 pm on Monday, March 17, 2025. See press release. 03/12/2025: A hearing for a temporary restraining order occurred in federal court. The States await the court's order. |
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| 02/13/2025 | Lawsuit challenging the unlawful delegation of executive power to Elon Musk. See press release. |
04/09/2025: The court vacated the prior scheduling order. The parties await the court's order on the motion to dismiss. 03/26/2025: A federal judge granted the motion to stay discovery pending resolution of defendants' motion to dismiss. 03/21/2025: Defendants Elon Musk and DOGE asked the DC Circuit Court of Appeals: (1) to stay the District Court’s order granting the States motion for discovery into the activities of Musk and DOGE, and (2) for a writ of mandamus preventing any discovery into Musk and DOGE’s activities. The Circuit Court has order the States to respond to both requests on Monday, March 24 and ordered Defendants to reply on March 25. 02/18/2025: A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order because of the lack of imminent irreparable harm to Plaintiff States. The case will now proceed to expedited discovery where the States will seek information regarding DOGE’s current operations and future plans. The States then plan to file a motion for a preliminary injunction shortly thereafter. See order. |
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02/10/2025 |
Lawsuit against the Trump Administration and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for unlawfully cutting funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. See press release. |
04/08/2025: The Trump Administration appealed the permanent injunction to the First Circuit. 04/04/2025: The parties filed an agreed motion to convert the court's preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. 03/05/2025: A preliminary injunction was granted by a federal judge, stopping the Trump Administration and NIH from cutting research funding while the lawsuit proceeds. See order. 02/10/2025: A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the National Institute of Health (NIH), barring its attempt to unilaterally cut billions in funding. The temporary restraining order stops the NIH from taking any steps to implement or enforce their attempted across-the-board reduction in research grants. A hearing has been scheduled for February 21, 2025. See press release. |
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02/07/2025 |
Lawsuit against the Trump Administration for illegally providing Elon Musk and the “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system. See press release. |
05/01/2025: The Trump Administration moved to dissolve the preliminary injunction entirely, noting that it has now used all proper processes for vetting and training members of the Treasury DOGE team for access to the payment systems. 04/11/2025: The court grants the Trump Administration's motion to partially dissolve the preliminary injunction as to one employee who has now been trained on handling data in the Treasury system. The court also denied the States' motion for reconsideration on their statutory APA claim. 03/11/2025: The Trump Administration files a motion to partially dissolve the preliminary injunction order with respect to one of the employees given access to the Treasury system. 03/07/2025: Plaintiff states filed a motion to reconsider a portion of the court's order finding that certain claims do not fall with the "zone of interests" of the statutes the federal government was alleged to have violated. 02/21/2025: A preliminary injunction was granted by a federal judge, blocking access to Treasury Department systems by DOGE while the lawsuit proceeds. See order. 02/08/2025: A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order which blocked Elon Musk and DOGE from accessing Treasury Department records. The court’s order also directs the DOGE team to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems, if any.” A hearing on the preliminary injunction has been set for February 14, 2025. See press release. |
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01/28/2025 |
Legal challenge of the Trump Administration’s Office of Management & Budget’s order, or “OMB memo,” freezing federal grants and loans. See press release. |
04/28/2025: The Trump Administration appealed the preliminary injunction to the First Circuit. 04/04/2025: The court issued an order granting the Plaintiff states' motion to enforce the preliminary injunction order with respect to FEMA funds. 03/24/2025: Plaintiff states filed a motion to enforce the preliminary injunction, seeking a court order requiring the Trump Administration to immediately stop the freezing of FEMA funds. See motion. 03/06/2025: A preliminary injunction was granted, stopping the Trump Administration from pausing billions of federal assistance funding to the states that sued. 02/28/2025: Plaintiff states filed a second motion to enforce in their ongoing lawsuit. See motion. 02/13/2025: Plaintiff states filed an amended complaint which broadens the scope of the lawsuit to include additional defendant agencies and further refines the legal theory of the case. See amended complaint. 02/08/2025: The court granted the states’ motion for enforcement, ordering the administration to immediately comply with the TRO and stop freezing federal funds. 02/07/2025: Plaintiff states filed a motion to enforce and a motion for preliminary injunction against the Trump Administration for allegedly failing to comply with court order to unfreeze federal funding. See press release. 01/31/2025: A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order in the lawsuit filed. The temporary restraining order prohibits the Trump Administration from imposing a blanket freeze on federal funding. This temporary restraining order is valid until the Court rules on a motion for preliminary injunction. See press release. |
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01/21/2025 |
Legal challenge of Trump Administration executive order unconstitutionally limiting birthright citizenship for children of certain classes or immigrant families. See press release. |
04/17/2025: The Supreme Court has scheduled oral argument of the federal government's request to stay the preliminary injunction for 5/15. 03/13/2025: The Trump Administration has asked the Supreme Court to stay the lower court's preliminary injunction while an appeal proceeds. See stay application. 02/13/2025: A preliminary injunction was granted by a federal judge. See press release. 02/11/2025: There was a preliminary injunction hearing on February 7, 2025. The Court has yet to make a ruling. [Note: Three other courts have already enjoined the order.]
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Amicus Briefs Filed by Attorney General Clark
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Date Filed |
Case Information |
Topic |
Summary of Brief |
| 04/29/2025 | Massachusetts Fair Housing Center, et al. v. Department of Housing and Urban Development, et al., 3:25-cv-30041, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts | Fair Housing | Brief supporting fair housing organizations in their appeal of a ruling that lifted a temporary restraining order blocking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from cancelling these organizations’ grant funding. See press release. |
| 04/25/2025 | Haitian Evangelical Clergy Association v. Trump, 1:25-cv-01464, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York | Immigration |
Brief in support of a challenge to the early termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Haitians. See press release. |
| 04/24/2025 | Susman Godfrey LLP v. Executive Office of the President, et al., 1:25-cv-01107, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Rule of Law |
Brief in support of law firm Susman Godfrey, targeted for retribution by the Trump Administration. See press release. |
| 04/18/2025 |
Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvary Bedoya v. Donald Trump, Andrew N. Ferguson, Melissa Holyoak, and David Robbins, 1:25-cv-00909, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Labor | Brief supporting two commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission who are challenging the illegal decision by President Trump to fire them without cause. See press release. |
| 04/15/2025 |
American Association of People with Disabilities v. Dudek, 1:25-cv-00977, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Social Security | Brief supporting an injunction to block erratic and unlawful layoffs and mismanagement at the Social Security Administration by acting administrator Leland Dudek and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that jeopardize continued payments for millions of Americans. See press release. |
| 04/11/2025 | American Association of University Professors, et al., v. Marco Rubio, et al., 1:25-cv-10685, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts | Immigration | Brief supporting a challenge to the Trump Administration’s “Ideological Deportation Policy,” which targets and punishes noncitizens with lawful status, especially college students and faculty, who express political beliefs with which the Administration disagrees. See press release. |
| 04/11/2025 |
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP v. Executive Office of the President, et al., 1:25-cv-00917, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Jenner & Block LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice, et al., 1:25-cv-00916, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Rule of Law | Briefs in support of law firms targeted for retribution by the Trump Administration. See press release. |
| 04/10/2025 | Wilcox v. Trump, 1:25-cv-00334, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Labor | Brief in support of Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board who President Trump has attempted to unlawfully remove from office. See press release. |
| 04/09/2025 | Harris v. Bessent, 1:25-cv-00412, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Labor | Brief in support of Cathy A. Harris, a member of the federal Merit Systems Protection Board who President Donald Trump has attempted to unlawfully remove from office. See press release. |
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03/21/2025 |
Svitlana Doe v. Kristi Noem, No. 1:25-cv-10495, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts |
Immigration | Brief supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) parole pathways for certain vulnerable immigrants fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries. See press release. |
| 03/12/2025 | Perkins Coie LLP v. U.S. Department of Justice, No. 1:25-cv-00716, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Rule of Law |
Brief supporting a lawsuit brought by Perkins Coie, the Seattle law firm targeted by President Trump for representing clients and taking positions disfavored by the president. President Trump's executive order "Addressing Risks from Perkins Coie LLP," is the subject of the lawsuit. See press release. |
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03/12/2025 |
Wilcox v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-00334, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Labor |
Brief supporting the continued opposition to President Trump's unlawful attempt to remove Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). On March 6, 2025, a federal judge ruled in Wilcox v. Trump, that President Trump's attempt to fire Wilcox was illegal and ordered that she remain on the board. The Trump administration has asked for a stay to stop the ruling from going into effect while it seeks an appeal, effectively allowing her firing to take effect. The brief urges the court to deny the administration's request for a stay, arguing that if allowed to stand, the attempt to dismiss Wilcox would undermine protections for workers and destabilize federal law. See brief. |
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03/07/2025 |
National TPS Alliance v. Noem, No. 3:25-cv-01766, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California | Immigration |
Brief supporting a challenge to the early termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Venezuela by the Trump Administration. The brief requests that the court prevent this order from going into effect, arguing that the termination of Venezuelan TPS is unlawful and will result in irreparable harm to families, states’ economies, workforces, and will raise healthcare costs, pose substantial risks to public health, and create challenges for jurisdictions across the country in enforcing their criminal codes and protecting public safety. See brief. |
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02/28/2025 |
Wilcox v. Trump, No. 1:25-cv-00334, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Labor |
Brief supporting Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in her lawsuit against President Trump. Brief argues that the unlawful dismissal of the board member undermines the functioning of the NLRB and the enforcement of labor laws across America. See brief. |
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02/26/2025 |
Shilling v. Trump, No. 25-cv-00241, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington |
Transgender Rights |
Brief supporting case brought by current and prospective members of the military who are transgender challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Order banning transgender people from military service. See brief. |
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02/21/2025 |
National Treasury Employees Union v. Russell Vought, No. 25-cv-00381, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Consumer Protection |
Brief supporting plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump Administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). See brief. |
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2/20/2025
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PFLAG, Inc. v. Trump, No. BAH-25-337, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland |
Transgender Rights |
Brief supporting legal challenge to President Trump’s Executive Order interfering with access to gender-affirming care for minors. See press release. |
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02/19/2025 |
Mayor & City Council of Baltimore v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; No. 25-cv-00458, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland |
Consumer Protection |
Brief supporting plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump Administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). See press release. |
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02/18/2025 |
Pacito v. Trump, No. 2:25-cv-255, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle |
Immigration |
Brief supporting efforts to overturn President Trump's unlawful refugee ban. See press release. |
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02/14/2025 |
Talbott v. Trump, No. 25-cv-240, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia |
Transgender Rights |
Brief led by Attorney General Clark supporting a lawsuit brought by current and prospective members of the military who are transgender challenging the Trump Administration’s Executive Order banning transgender people from military service. See press release. |
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02/9/2025 |
American Federation of Gov't Employees v. Ezell, No. 1:25-cv-10276, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts |
Labor |
Brief supporting federal employees unions' challenge to the Trump Administration’s federal “buyout” plan. The so-called “Fork in the Road” directive attempted to force federal workers to choose, with only days to decide, between accepting a legally fraught “buyout” and potentially being terminated. See press release. |
Statements, Letters, and Guidance Issued By Attorney General Clark
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Date Issued |
Topic |
Statements, Letters, and Guidance |
| 05/02/2025 | Fair Housing | Multi-state letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), opposing its interim final rule that walks back HUD’s duty to affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH). See letter. |
| 05/01/2025 | Healthcare | Multi-state letter to the Trump Administration, expressing serious concern with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to withhold tens of millions of dollars in Title X funding. See letter. |
| 04/30/2025 | Rule of Law | Multi-state letter to the legal community, expressing support for law firms that have fought back against President Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to target law firms for advocacy and representation the Trump Administration disfavors. See letter. |
| 04/29/2025 | Environment and Human Health | Multi-state letter to Congress urging members to oppose two Congressional bills that would prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from relying on scientific assessments from the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program, which are critical to protect against deadly exposure to toxic chemicals. See letter. |
| 04/11/2025 | Healthcare |
Multi-state comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services opposing a raft of proposed changes that would undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), making it more difficult and expensive for individuals to enroll in health coverage on federal and state exchanges, and also foreclosing DACA recipients to buy health insurance on the exchanges. See letter. |
| 04/09/2025 | Consumer Protection |
Multi-state letter to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and the House Financial Services Committee urging the House to vote against a resolution that would overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's 2024 rule limiting overdraft fees imposed by the country's largest banks. See letter. |
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03/17/2025 |
Transgender Rights |
Multi-state comment letter to the U.S. Department of State opposing proposed changes to the passport application process that would prevent transgender individuals from obtaining a passport that matches their gender identity. See letter. |
| 03/05/2025 | DEI |
Multi-state guidance to help K-12 schools, colleges, and universities understand the legality, viability and importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies and practices in education in response to concerns following a Trump Administration executive order and the U.S. Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague” letter. See guidance. |
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02/18/2025 |
Environment |
Multi-state letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources urging full consideration and support for S.J. Res. 10, which would terminate the national energy emergency declared by the Trump Administration’s Executive Order. See letter. |
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02/14/2025 |
Judicial Review |
Joint statement signed by 10 attorneys general regarding Vice President Vance’s comments on judicial review made on February 9, 2025. See statement. |
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02/13/2025 |
DEI |
Multi-state guidance to help businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations understand the viability and importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility policies and practices in creating and maintaining legally compliant and thriving workplaces. See guidance. |
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02/07/2025 |
Op-ed |
“I Took Action to Uphold the Rule of Law and Protect Vermont,” by Attorney General Clark. See op-ed. |
| 02/04/2025 | Labor |
Multi-state letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Grassley, urging the Senate to require Kash Patel, President Trump's nominee for FBI Director, to return for further questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee following alarming reports of politically motivated firings at the FBI. See letter. |
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01/23/2025 |
Immigration |
Joint statement signed by 13 attorneys general addressing a memorandum from a Trump political appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice addressing state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. See statement. |
Page last updated: May 9, 2025