The California State Bar has recommended that former Trump election attorney John Eastman be disbarred, State Bar Court Judge Yvette D. Roland said in a filing on Wednesday. Eastman was charged with multiple disciplinary counts by the State Bar of California last January from allegations that Eastman engaged in “a course of conduct to plan, promote, and assist then-President Trump in executing a strategy, unsupported by facts or law, to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election.”
“Eastman’s wrongdoing was committed directly in the course and scope of his representation of President Trump and the Trump Campaign,” Judge Roland said, “Eastman’s actions transgressed those ethical limits by advocating, participating in, and pursuing a strategy to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election that lacked evidentiary or legal support.” Judge Roland was surprised by Eastman’s lack of remorse and believes that if allowed to continue practicing law, he may engage in further unethical behaviors. She firmly believes that Eastman is a threat to the public.
California Bar investigators found that Eastman made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” that later became the legal framework for having former Vice President Mike Pence interfere with the certification of the 2020 election.
The evidence is overwhelming, and under no circumstances should Eastman be permitted to continue to retain his status and continue working in law. Not only does he deny he did anything unethical, but he doesn’t feel guilty either. Eastman is just another Trump lawyer who believes that he can bend and break the law to suit his needs. Many lawyers have been disbarred from less egregious unethical actions, and Eastman should not slip away through the cracks. Judge Roland is correct — this man is a threat to the public. What else has he been lying about?
There’s no doubt that Eastman’s credibility has been permanently damaged, but this man is also a law professor and a frequent author of Supreme Court amicus briefs. No one who interferes with the transfer of power in a U.S. election should be allowed to interact with the legal system in any way, and certainly not teach law to students. John Eastman deserves the maximum punishment available and disbarring him is only the first step.
