The repercussions for lawyers who aided former President Donald Trump in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results are becoming increasingly clear. This week, one former Trump lawyer faces the possibility of losing his law license, while another is embroiled in a disciplinary trial.
John Eastman, a conservative law professor, and Jeffrey Clark, a former Trump Justice Department official who was nearly appointed as attorney general, are confronting significant developments in their attorney discipline cases in the jurisdictions where they are licensed. These developments underscore the ongoing scrutiny by legal authorities of Trump’s attorneys, several of whom could potentially lose their law licenses.
Besides Eastman and Clark, three other Trump lawyers from 2020 — Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis — have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Georgia, putting their law licenses at risk. Stefanie Lambert, another lawyer, recently served a night in jail for failing to appear for a case against her in Michigan. Meanwhile, high-profile attorney Rudy Giuliani is dealing with bankruptcy and a suspension from practicing law. Lawrence Joseph, Julia Haller, and Brandon Johnson, who supported Trump in key states and filed baseless court claims alleging election fraud, are now facing attorney disciplinary charges in Washington, DC.
The State Bar of California is expected to make a decision by Wednesday regarding Eastman, the mastermind behind an effort to stop Congress’ certification of the 2020 results. Clark’s professional ethics trial, which began on Tuesday, is set to continue throughout the week. The trial will focus on Clark’s attempts to leverage the Justice Department in late 2020 and early 2021 to amplify the former president’s unfounded election fraud claims.
During the trial, Clark’s attorney, Harry MacDougald, has emphasized that Clark was merely following Trump’s lead post-election. MacDougald also suggested in his opening statement that Clark had reasons to question the election results, particularly in Georgia. However, Richard Donoghue, a Justice Department official who outranked Clark, testified on Tuesday that Clark’s actions were inappropriate. Donoghue stated under oath that the Justice Department had investigated claims of election fraud and found no grounds for further investigation. Despite this, Clark continued to harbor unfounded suspicions of foreign interference in the election.
Clark’s trial is taking place before a three-person disciplinary committee that will make findings and write a recommendation to a professional responsibility board governing professional discipline for those licensed to practice law in the city. The committee could recommend disbarment, a step already taken for Giuliani following a similar trial related to his actions during the 2020 election.
Eastman’s case is nearing its conclusion. He has already undergone a lengthy trial in California regarding his professional conduct as a lawyer for Trump. A judge there has preliminarily found him guilty of ethics violations. A decision from Judge Yvette Roland, of the attorney discipline court in the state, is expected Wednesday. Eastman will have the opportunity to appeal if Roland decides to disbar him or impose other penalties.
Separately, Eastman and Clark are both facing criminal charges in Georgia in the racketeering conspiracy indictment against Trump and more than a dozen others. They have pleaded not guilty.
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Devan Cole.