Pressuring law firms

last updated 8 January 2015

Washington, D.C.

Law firms that represent prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, are aiding terrorism, and their corportate clients should reconsider doing business with them, a senior Pentagon official said last week. Charles “Cully” Stimson, deputy assistant defense secretary for detainee affairs, said during a radio interview that it was “shocking” that top law firms were volunteering to represent suspected terrorists. “CEOs are going to make those law firms choose between representing terrorists or representing reputable firms,” Stimson said. Lawyers’ groups denounced Stimson’s remarks, arguing that the right to a vigorous defense is a cornerstone of the U.S. justice system. After a Pentagon spokesman said Stimson’s comments did not reflect the views of the Defense Department, he apologized, saying that both sides in any legal dispute deserve “competent legal counsel.”