The fallout for lawyers who assisted Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election is becoming clearer this week, with one former attorney for Trump facing the possibility of losing his law license and another attorney in the midst of a disciplinary trial. John Eastman, a conservative law professor, and Jeffrey Clark, a former Trump Justice Department official, are facing major developments in their attorney discipline cases in the jurisdictions where they are barred. These developments show that authorities are still closely examining the actions of attorneys for Trump even years after the 2020 election, with several facing the potential loss of their law licenses.
In addition to Eastman and Clark, three other lawyers for Trump in 2020 — Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis — have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Georgia that could jeopardize their law licenses. Other lawyers, such as Stefanie Lambert and Rudy Giuliani, are facing their own legal troubles, with Lambert spending a night in jail for failing to appear in court and Giuliani being suspended from practicing law and declaring bankruptcy. Lawrence Joseph, Julia Haller, and Brandon Johnson, who worked in battleground states to support Trump and filed frivolous court cases alleging election fraud, are also facing attorney disciplinary charges in Washington, DC.
The State Bar of California is expected to issue a decision by Wednesday regarding Eastman, who was the architect of an effort to halt Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results. Meanwhile, Clark’s professional ethics trial began on Tuesday and is scheduled to last through the week. The trial is focusing on Clark’s attempts to use the Justice Department to boost Trump’s election fraud claims, despite evidence to the contrary. Clark’s attorney has argued that Clark was following Trump’s lead and had reason to question election results, but a Justice Department official testified that Clark’s theories were not supported by evidence and he was conducting his own investigation.
The disciplinary committee overseeing Clark’s trial could recommend disbarment, as they did for Giuliani in a similar trial related to his actions during the 2020 election. Eastman has already faced a long trial in California regarding his professional conduct as a lawyer for Trump, with a judge preliminarily finding him culpable for ethics violations. A decision from the judge is expected on Wednesday, and Eastman will have the opportunity to appeal if he is disbarred or punished. Both Eastman and Clark are also facing criminal charges in Georgia in connection with the racketeering conspiracy indictment against Trump and others, but they have pleaded not guilty.
The developments in the legal cases against lawyers who assisted Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election highlight the ongoing scrutiny faced by attorneys who engaged in questionable conduct related to the election. As disciplinary trials and criminal charges proceed, the consequences for these lawyers could include losing their law licenses and facing other professional repercussions. The trials also shed light on the ethical responsibilities of attorneys and the need for accountability in upholding the rule of law, particularly in cases involving attempts to undermine the democratic process. Ultimately, the outcomes of these legal proceedings will have far-reaching implications for the legal profession and the standards of conduct expected of attorneys.
