The legal organization behind a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s tariffs is funded by groups linked to Charles Koch and Leonard A. Leo.According to The New York Times, a group funded by prominent conservative figures has joined the opposition against President Trump’s tariffs on imports from China. Last week, a Florida business owner, Emily Ley, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that her company, Simplified, has been negatively affected by the ongoing trade war with China. Ley’s legal team is from the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a libertarian nonprofit organization that receives funding from Donors Trust, a group connected to Leonard A. Leo, co-chairman of the Federalist Society. The Federalist Society, known for its influence in advising Trump on judicial appointments, has been criticized by some in the president’s inner circle for not aligning with his political movement. Other donors to the New Civil Liberties Alliance include Charles Koch, a billionaire industrialist and Republican megadonor. Ley’s lawsuit argues that Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed new tariffs on Chinese goods in February, which has since led to retaliatory tariffs from China and further escalation from the Trump administration. As of Thursday, all Chinese imports face a minimum tariff rate of 145 percent, a significant increase.
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