Justice Department seeks to disqualify Judge Howell

The U.S. Justice Department is asking to remove a federal judge from a case involving the law firm Perkins Coie. This lawsuit challenges an executive order that the firm claims targets it in retaliation for its previous work against President Donald Trump. The Justice Department argues that Judge Beryl Howell has shown bias against Trump. They point to her past comments about the January 6 rioters and her rulings in related investigations. The motion claims she cannot fairly judge the case because of what they describe as her partiality. This action follows another request earlier in the week, where the Justice Department wanted Chief Judge James Boasberg removed from a different case. They accused Boasberg of using unusual and improper procedures. However, the appeals court has not acted on that request. Removing a judge from a case is unusual, especially for the Justice Department. It usually happens only with clear conflicts or misconduct. In the past, Trump has also tried to disqualify judges in various cases against him, but those requests were denied. Howell recently issued an order that prevents the enforcement of some sanctions from the executive order while litigation is ongoing. She is scheduled to review the constitutionality of the executive order next month.