Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) sent a misleading tweet Friday accusing President Donald Trump of hiring a law firm with "extensive ties to Russia."
The law firm that Trump "used to show he has no ties to Russia was named Russia Law Firm of the Year for their extensive ties to Russia," Murphy wrote. "Unreal."
The Connecticut senator's tweet quickly went viral, racking up more than 50,000 retweets and earning reactions from other Democratic senators.
Law firm @POTUS used to show he has no ties to Russia was named Russia Law Firm of the Year for their extensive ties to Russia. Unreal.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 12, 2017
@ChrisMurphyCT @POTUS pic.twitter.com/Kr0BxhfRlE
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 12, 2017
There are elements of truth to Murphy's tweet. Trump is represented by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, whose Moscow branch was named "Russia Law Firm of the Year" in 2016 by Chambers Europe, a publication of London-based Chambers & Partners. Morgan Lewis' Moscow office employs more than 40 lawyers and staff and touts its adeptness in helping companies navigate and abide by U.S. sanctions on Russia.
But to use that as evidence of "extensive ties to Russia," as Murphy claims, is misleading. Morgan Lewis is a global firm with thousands of lawyers working in dozens of law offices in about a dozen countries. The firm also has offices in Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Kazakhstan, London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, and the United States, while advertising its work in Africa, India, and South America.
Morgan Lewis, founded in Philadelphia in the 19th century, remains the eighth largest law firm in America and one of the most prestigious. Trump is represented by the Washington, D.C. branch, not the Moscow branch. The firm told ABC News that "no lawyers from Morgan Lewis have handling any business dealings for Mr. Trump in Russia."
In addition to Morgan Lewis' award for its work in Moscow, the firm was also in the running for "London Office of the Year" and was named the U.S. "Antitrust and Tax Law Firm of the Year" in 2016.
It is unclear whether Murphy believes the firm is also secretly in the pocket of the Americans or the British.
Trump's primary opponent and current Texas Sen. Ted Cruz worked at the firm for nearly five years. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also hired the firm to run her presidential transition team's vetting efforts, and Morgan Lewis lawyer Jim Hamilton is reportedly "part of the Clintons' trusted inner circle."
There is no evidence Murphy ever attacked the Clintons' connection to the firm he believes has extensive ties to Russia.
Still, the news media bit. The New York Post, ABC News, and CBS News all reported Murphy's claim. None of them provided the context indicating how unremarkable Trump's use of the law firm is.