->Discospinster at 00:35, 12 January 2022

2022-01-12T00:35:38Z

New page

{{short description|American lawyer and political official}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Harmeet Dhillon
|image = Harmeet Dhillon (51248107403) (cropped).jpg
|office = [[Republican National Committee]]woman<br>from [[California]]
|term_start = 2016
|term_end =
|predecessor =
|successor =
|birth_name = Harmeet Kaur Dhillon
|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1969}}
|birth_place = [[Chandigarh]], [[India]]
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|spouse = Kanwarjit Singh (divorced 2003)<ref>{{cite web |last=Levine |first=Daniel S. |title=Harmeet Dhillon: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know |url=https://heavy.com/news/2017/03/harmeet-dhillon-who-is-donald-trump-civil-rights-division-biography-husband-age-sikh-republican-family-california-lawyer/|website=Heavy|date=10 March 2017 |accessdate=May 17, 2018}}</ref><br>Sarv Randhawa (2011–present)<ref>{{cite web |title=Republican activist takes on class-action suit against Google |url=https://www.indiaabroad.com/business/republican-activist-takes-on-class-action-suit-against-google/article_a02bc7cc-f7f5-11e7-82ef-47b1f6030fbc.html |website=India Abroad}}</ref>
|education = [[Dartmouth College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Virginia]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|website = {{url|dhillonlaw.com|Official website}}
}}
'''Harmeet Kaur Dhillon''' (born 1969) is an American lawyer and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] official. She is the former vice chairwoman of the [[California Republican Party]], and a National Committeewoman of the [[Republican National Committee]] for California.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-republicans-harmeet-dhillon-20160719-snap-story.html |accessdate=August 1, 2017 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |title=California lawyer delivers Sikh prayer at GOP convention |first=Seema |last=Mehta |date=July 19, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://gop.com/leaders/national-committeewoman-harmeet-dhillon-ca|title=National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon|website=GOP|access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref> She is the founder of a law practice called Dhillon Law Group Inc.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhillonlaw.com/|title=Litigation Boutique Firm - Legal Services {{!}} Dhillon Law Group|website=Dhillon Law Group|access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref> In 2018, she helped launch the nonprofit Center for American Liberty, which does legal work related to civil liberties.<ref name="Fights" /> She is a regular guest on [[Fox News]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Churches, gunshops and irate brides: All the shutdown lawsuits against Newsom, explained |url=https://www.abc10.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/all-the-shutdown-lawsuits-against-newsom-explained/103-4f6f7b14-0015-4831-b09b-b094527a8e65|access-date=July 13, 2020|website=abc10.com|date=12 May 2020}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus pandemic]], she filed numerous unsuccessful lawsuits to halt the implementation of [[stay-at-home orders]] and other emergency restrictions implemented to halt the spread of the coronavirus. She criticized requirements that people wear [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|face masks]] (claiming that "the masks don't work", contradicting the recommendations of health experts and the US CDC), called for the re-opening of the economy, and criticized voting reforms intended to make it easier to vote through [[Postal voting in the United States|postal voting]] at a time when in-person voting posed a public health risk.<ref name=":1"/><ref name="Politico2020"/><ref name=":2"/>

==Early life and education==
Dhillon was born in [[Chandigarh]], India in 1969.<ref name="dartmouth_alum"/> Her family moved to the United States when she was a child so that her father could pursue a career as an [[orthopedic surgeon]]. Her family eventually settled in [[Smithfield, North Carolina]]. After finishing high school at age 16, she attended [[Dartmouth College]]. She became a writer and eventually editor-in-chief at ''[[The Dartmouth Review]]''. After graduating from Dartmouth, she attended law school, graduating from the [[University of Virginia School of Law]] where she was on the editorial board of the ''[[Virginia Law Review]]''. After law school, she clerked for [[United States federal judge|Judge]] [[Paul Victor Niemeyer]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit]].<ref name="dartmouth_alum">{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Bruce |title=The Outsider |url=https://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/outsider |accessdate=October 2, 2019 |work=Dartmouth Alumni Magazine |date=May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Harmeet K. Dhillon |url=https://libertycenter.org/harmeet-dhillon/ |website=libertycenter.org |date=16 August 2019 |publisher=The Center for American Liberty |accessdate=November 2, 2020}}</ref>

==Legal career and political activism==
[[File:Harmeet Dhillon speaks at the White House's Social Media Summit (cropped1).png|thumb|right|Dhillon with [[President of the United States|President]] [[Donald Trump]] in 2019]]
===Political involvement===
In 2008, Dhillon ran for a seat in the [[California Assembly]]. She lost the race, garnering 17% of the vote in the traditionally Democratic district.<ref name="Garofoli2011">{{cite web |title=Harmeet Dhillon, Republican leader with S.F. twist |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |first=Joe |last=Garofoli |date=April 24, 2011 |accessdate=August 1, 2017 |url=http://m.sfgate.com/politics/article/Harmeet-Dhillon-Republican-leader-with-S-F-twist-2374454.php#photo-1902765}}</ref> She ran for the [[California Senate]] in 2012, but was again unsuccessful.<ref name="Anderson2013">{{cite web |accessdate=August 1, 2017 |url=http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/outsider |first=Bruce |last=Anderson |newspaper=Dartmouth Alumni magazine |title=Former Review editor Harmeet Dhillon '89 leads the Republican Party in one of the nation's most liberal cities.}} May - Jun 2013</ref> She served as the chair of the San Francisco Republican Party.<ref name="Fights"/>

Dhillon became a board member of the northern California chapter of the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] after the [[September 11 attacks]], in connection with her work on discrimination against Sikhs and other South Asians, and stayed on the board for three years.<ref name="Fights" /><ref name="Anderson2013" /> She has been heavily criticized by Republican activists for her ties to the ACLU, as well as her past contributions to the political campaigning of [[Kamala Harris]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/S-F-GOP-leader-slammed-by-Republicans-4254447.php|title=S.F. GOP leader SLAMMED by Republicans|work=[[SF Gate]]|access-date=July 10, 2018}}</ref>

Dhillon was chosen to be a member of the California Republican Party's Board in 2013; she became a national committeewoman for the Republican National Committee in 2016.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Fights"/> She also gave the opening prayer at the 2016 [[Republican National Convention]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-republicans-harmeet-dhillon-20160719-snap-story.html|title=California lawyer delivers Sikh prayer at GOP convention|date=2016-07-19|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 11, 2017}}</ref>

In early 2017, Dhillon interviewed to be the [[United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division|Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights]] in the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article137658368.html|title=Harmeet Dhillon, California Republican leader, a candidate for Justice Department post|last=Cadelago|first=Christopher|date=March 10, 2017|accessdate=August 1, 2017|newspaper=[[Sacramento Bee]]}}</ref> She was not nominated for the position.

Dhillon led the successful effort to remove [[Chad Mayes]] as the [[California State Assembly]] [[California State Assembly Republican Caucus|Republican caucus]] leader in August 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-chad-mayes-told-to-step-down-as-1503115777-htmlstory.html|title=California Republicans tell Assembly GOP leader Chad Mayes to step down|last=Megerian|first=Chris|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/08/24/california-republican-lawmakers-oust-chad-mayes-elect-new-leader/|title=California Republican lawmakers oust Chad Mayes over climate-deal rift|date=August 24, 2017 |newspaper=The Mercury News|access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref>

On July 11, 2019, Dhillon gave a speech at the President [[Donald Trump|Trump]]'s "Social Media Summit".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/07/11/full_video_president_trump_speaks_at_social_media_summit_at_white_house.html |title=Full Video: President Trump Speaks At Social Media Summit At White House|date=July 11, 2019|first=Ian |last=Schwartz |website=www.realclearpolitics.com|access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Politico2020"/> Dhillon is a co-chair of [[Women for Trump]].<ref name="Fights"/> She has described [[Laura Ingraham]] as a "long-time mentor."<ref name=":1" />

===Lawsuits===
Dhillon filed a lawsuit in April 2017 against [[University of California, Berkeley]] on behalf of the Berkeley College Republicans (BCR) and [[Young America's Foundation]] for [[Freedom of speech in the United States|freedom of speech]] issues, particularly the school cancelling [[Ann Coulter]]'s speech quoting security reasons.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Svrluga |first1=Susan |last2=Wan |first2=William |date=April 24, 2017 |title=Lawsuit filed against UC Berkeley for canceling Ann Coulter speech|work=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/04/24/lawsuit-filed-against-uc-berkeley-for-canceling-ann-coulter-speech/|url-status=live|access-date=July 7, 2020}}</ref> The suit was settled in December 2018, with Dhillon arguing that it had forced the university to change its policies about controversial speakers, whereas the university maintained that it had already been following the amended policies before.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 4, 2018 |title=Conservative groups settle campus bias suit with UC Berkeley |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Conservative-groups-settle-campus-bias-suit-with-13440307.php|access-date=July 6, 2020 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref>

In August 2017, [[James Damore]], a former Google employee, hired Dhillon to be his lawyer against [[Google]]. Dhillon's firm has said it is also willing to represent more employees from Google who have similar stories to Damore.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/harmeet-dhillon-james-damore-2017-8 |title=The Google memo writer has hired a GOP official to be his lawyer and she's already gathering facts |work=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=November 12, 2017}}</ref> though Dhillon has already lost an appeal to the [[National Labor Relations Board]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/business/google-memo-firing.html|title=Google Legally Fired Diversity Memo Author, Labor Agency Says|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 16, 2018}}</ref> Damore's lawsuit against Google also was dismissed pursuant to a mandatory arbitration clause; however, the case continues without him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/10/18/googles-fired-diversity-memo-engineer-exits-lawsuit-for-arbitration/|title=Google's Fired Engineer Exits Lawsuit for Arbitration|work=[[Mercury News]]|access-date=January 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/google-conservative-bias-case-james-damore|title=Judge rules lawsuit accusing Google of bias against conservatives can proceed|last=Hopkins|first=Anna|date=June 10, 2019 |website=Fox News |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref>

Conservative social media activist and journalist [[Andy Ngo]] retained Dhillon as his attorney after being assaulted on the street in [[Portland, Oregon]], in June 2019.<ref name="WoodrowDhillonNgoABC7News">{{cite web |url= https://abc7news.com/portland-journalist-speaks-out-says-antifa-behind-attack/5374202/ |title= Portland journalist Andy Ngo speaks out, says Antifa behind attack |author= Melanie Woodrow |date= July 1, 2019 |work= [[KGO-TV]] |accessdate= July 3, 2019 }}</ref> In June 2020, Dhillon filed suit on behalf of Ngo against [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]] seeking $900,000 in damages for assault and emotional distress, and an injunction to prevent further harassment. The lawsuit cites [[Rose City Antifa]], five other named defendants, and additional unknown assailants. It stems from multiple alleged attacks on Ngo in Portland during 2019, and accuses Rose City Antifa in particular of a "pattern of racketeering activities".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://katu.com/news/local/portland-conservative-writer-andy-ngo-suing-antifa-for-injuries-during-protest |title=Portland conservative writer suing 'antifa' for injuries |publisher=[[KATU]] |date=June 5, 2020 |accessdate=June 5, 2020 |author=Don Thompson}}</ref>

==== Coronavirus pandemic ====
During the coronavirus pandemic, Dhillon was behind many lawsuits challenging stay-at-home orders enacted during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in California|COVID-19 pandemic]] to halt the spread of the virus.<ref name=":1" /> By June 2020, she had filed more than a dozen lawsuits against California.

On April 13 and 24, 2020, Dhillon filed suits against the state of California challenging its stay-at-home order.<ref name="chronShelterChallenge">{{cite news |last1=Egelko |first1=Bob |title=California experts question legal basis for Barr's plan to challenge coronavirus shelter orders |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/nation/article/California-experts-question-legal-basis-for-15225392.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=April 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Fights">{{cite news |last1=Ronayne |first1=Kathleen |date=May 29, 2020|title=GOP lawyer fights California governor on stay-at-home orders|url=https://apnews.com/02fe060b13bacd24acf6e3fefc73b5f5|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=July 7, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref name="Politico2020">{{cite web | last1=Marinucci | first1=Carla | title=Conservatives turn to San Francisco lawyer to fight coronavirus orders | url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/29/harmeet-dhillon-california-coronavirus-290060 | date=May 29, 2020 | work=[[Politico]] | accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref> On behalf of two pastors in [[Riverside County, California|Riverside County]], two parishioners in [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino County]], and seven businesses, including restaurants, a pet grooming shop, and a gondola company, she argued that their constitutional rights were being violated.<ref name="chronShelterChallenge" /> Dhillon also filed lawsuits against the governors of [[New Jersey]] and [[Virginia]] over their restrictions on religious services.<ref name="Fights" /> Most of these lawsuits were filed through the Center for American Liberty.<ref name="Fights" /> Dhillon later argued that her lawsuits led to "large sectors of California’s economy opening up much sooner than the governor originally intended", which in the assessment of ''[[The New York Times]]'' contributed to an "alarming surge in cases" in the second half of June.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hubler|first1=Shawn|last2=Fuller|first2=Thomas|date=June 29, 2020 |title='Our Luck May Have Run Out': California's Case Count Explodes|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/us/california-coronavirus-reopening.html|access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref> She criticized California's decision to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters for the 2020 election because of the public health risks of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic.<ref name="Politico2020"/> In July 2020, it was reported that she was suing state and local governments in California to keep nail salons and barbers open and to prevent the closure of schools during the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 24, 2020 |title=Parents sue Newsom over pandemic school closure order |url=https://fox5sandiego.com/news/coronavirus/parents-sue-newsom-over-pandemic-school-closure-order/|access-date=July 30, 2020 |website=FOX 5 San Diego}}</ref>

In May 2020, Dhillon criticized Virginia for requiring the use of face masks in public. She claimed that "the masks don't work" (contradicting the recommendation of health experts and the US CDC).<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 27, 2020 |title=Fox News' Laura Ingraham claims Democrats will make Americans wear masks 'forever' |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/916654/fox-news-laura-ingraham-claims-democrats-make-americans-wear-masks-forever|access-date=July 13, 2020 |website=theweek.com}}</ref>

In June 2020, she criticized California for requiring the use of face masks in public when individuals were unable to physically distance.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 29, 2020 |title=California's mask order tests the limits of Newsom's executive power |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-29/california-mask-order-gavin-newsom-powers-coronavirus|url-status=live|access-date=July 13, 2020 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> She argued that people should be free to make their own decisions.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Reactions to Gov. Newsom's Statewide Mask Mandate|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/reactions-to-gov-newsoms-statewide-mask-mandate/2312143/|access-date=July 13, 2020 |website=NBC Bay Area}}</ref> She called on California to reopen its economy, even though coronavirus cases were surging.<ref name=":2" /> In July 2020, she said that she was considering filing a lawsuit over a restriction on singing or chanting in church to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Church singing ban strikes sour note with California pastor|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/church-singing-ban-strikes-sour-note-california-pastor-71721797|access-date=July 13, 2020 |website=ABC News}}</ref>

She filed a lawsuit against Hawaii when the state required that visitors to Hawaii undergo quarantine upon arrival. In July 2020, a judge ruled that the emergency mandate was a reasonable response to the public health threat posed by the coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 3, 2020 |title=Federal judge rules Hawaii's quarantine is reasonable during coronavirus pandemic |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/07/03/breaking-news/federal-judge-rules-hawaiis-quarantine-is-reasonable-during-pandemic/|access-date=July 13, 2020 |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Advertiser}}</ref>

=== Trump 2020 campaign legal adviser ===
She was a legal adviser on the Trump 2020 campaign. While the Trump campaign was making false and unsubstantiated voter fraud claims during the 2020 election (as the ballots were being counted), Dhillon said the campaign was hoping that the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]], including Trump-appointed justices such as [[Amy Coney Barrett]], would help Trump win the presidency.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Will This Election Be A Replay Of Bush v. Gore At The Supreme Court? Not Likely|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/11/07/932214005/will-this-election-be-a-replay-of-bush-v-gore-at-the-supreme-court-not-likely|access-date=November 8, 2020 |newspaper=NPR |date=7 November 2020|last1=Totenberg|first1=Nina}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilstein|first=Matt|date=November 5, 2020 |title=Trump Lawyer Calls for Supreme Court to 'Step in and Do Something'|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-lawyer-calls-for-supreme-court-to-step-in-and-do-something-to-help-president-win|access-date=November 8, 2020 |website=The Daily Beast}}</ref><ref name="apFactCheck">{{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-legal-team-false-claims-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3 |first=Ali |last=Swenson |title=AP Fact Check: Trump legal team's batch of false vote claims |date=November 19, 2020 |website=AP News |access-date=November 21, 2020 |archive-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120155946/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-5abd64917ef8be9e9e2078180973e8b3 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{commonscatinline}}
* {{wikiquote-inline}}
* {{Official Website|https://www.dhillonlaw.com}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhillon, Harmeet}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:American Civil Liberties Union people]]
[[Category:American politicians of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American Sikhs]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2008 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2012 United States elections]]
[[Category:Chandigarh politicians]]
[[Category:Dartmouth College alumni]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Lawyers from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Sea Ranch, California]]
[[Category:People from Smithfield, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Republican National Committee members]]
[[Category:University of Virginia School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Women from Chandigarh]]

Harmeet Dhillon - Revision history

->Discospinster at 00:35, 12 January 2022