The Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee. A week for fun, friends, and what one executive of the app called “basically Grindr’s Super Bowl.” Which, I guess might be redundant.
And they couldn’t do it without the help of their generous sponsorship partners. While Trump frantically claims he’s never even heard of Project 2025, its authors at the Heritage Foundation are right up there on the banner.
But Jennifer Judge of the Lawyers Behaving Badly podcast noticed one sponsor of particular interest to the legal community:
You might’ve been expecting Jones Day on that banner, but that firm has publicly stayed away from Trump and tried to spin its voter disenfranchisement work in 2020 — challenging mail-in ballot deadlines — as totally distinct from the election denialism it spawned among MAGA faithful who turned counting absentee ballots into a mass conspiracy. They’re not putting their brand anywhere near this thing.
Foley & Lardner took a different approach.
The firm is no stranger to Trumpworld, but one would’ve thought they’d be trying to keep that on the DL after what happened last election. That’s when Foley partner Cleta Mitchell infamously ran the call where Trump asked Georgia to magic up enough votes to win the state. After this news came to light, Mitchell resigned, likely not totally of her own volition. It seemed as though the firm wanted to distance itself as much as possible from the Big Lie.
But what a difference a few years makes, with the firm now happy to sponsor a reunion for January 6 defendants and fake electors.
Look, everyone needs lawyers. Even Republicans. Indeed, especially Republicans. But it’s one thing to do the job and another to tie your brand to a toxic client. And to market yourself to that toxic client’s toxic fellow travelers.
Now, there’s another slightly more innocent interpretation. If the firm represented the host committee — essentially working for the city — then they might earn “partner” credit without really aiming to help the Republicans. But you can turn down a spot on the banner! And, in this case, that might be a prudent marketing move.
That’s a business decision that Foley’s making. Let’s see how it works out for them.
Earlier: Cleta Mitchell Out At Foley & Lardner After Troubling Donald Trump Call
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
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