Lawyer Eastman faces a disciplinary hearing over a plot to keep Trump in power after his 2020 loss

Lawyer John Eastman is currently facing a disciplinary hearing in Los Angeles for his involvement in a scheme to maintain former President Donald Trump in power after his defeat in the 2020 election. The proceedings began on Tuesday, and Eastman is facing 11 disciplinary charges related to his development of a questionable legal strategy aimed at disrupting the counting of state electoral votes and overturning the election results in favor of Trump.

The State Bar Court of California is conducting the hearing, which could potentially lead to Eastman losing his law license in the state. Testimony will be heard from various individuals, including Greg Jacob, a former attorney for then-Vice President Mike Pence, who opposed Eastman’s plan to have Pence prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. It should be noted that Pence himself acknowledged that he lacked the authority to overturn the election.

Eastman’s memo, described by critics as a blueprint for staging a coup, argued that Pence could retain Trump’s power by overturning the election results during a joint session of Congress convened to count the electoral votes. The proceedings are expected to last for a minimum of eight days, and if Eastman is found guilty of the alleged violations, the State Bar Court may recommend punishments such as suspending or revoking his law license. The final decision will be made by the California Supreme Court.

Eastman is scheduled to testify in his own defense during the hearing. The State Bar alleges that he violated California’s business and professions code by making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption.” Furthermore, the State Bar argues that Eastman violated his duty to further an attempt to subvert the will of the American people and overturn the election results, which they deem as an unprecedented attack on democracy.

Eastman’s attorney has previously stated that his client disputes every aspect of the allegations. The attorney also claimed that the State Bar’s actions are part of a broader effort to penalize attorneys who opposed the current administration during the last presidential election, adding that this politicization of state bars should concern Americans from both political parties.

John Eastman has been a member of the California Bar since 1997 and has an extensive legal background, including serving as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He retired as dean of the Chapman University law school in Southern California last year following calls from over 160 faculty members for the university to take action against him.

This disciplinary hearing involving Eastman coincides with special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into attempts by Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the 2020 election results. A federal grand jury has been conducting closed-door proceedings, hearing testimony from various witnesses, including Mike Pence. The investigation focuses on a pressure campaign by Trump to halt the certification of the election results and Biden’s victory.

Eastman’s cellphone was seized by federal agents last summer, and similar activities took place nationwide as part of the investigation. Smith’s investigation covers a broad range of areas, such as fundraising, Trump’s rally preceding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, and communications between Trump associates and election officials in battleground states. It should be noted that Eastman spoke at the rally.

In December, Smith issued subpoenas to local election officials in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, seeking communications involving Trump, his campaign aides, and allies like Eastman who were involved in efforts to overturn the election results.

This investigation is separate from another probe by Smith into classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The discovery of these documents led to felony charges against Trump, to which he pleaded not guilty.

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• Los Angeles Times – Lawyer John Eastman faces disciplinary hearing over plot to keep Trump in power
• NBC News – Lawyer who pushed baseless election claims faces disbarment hearing
• CNN – Lawyer who pushed false election claims faces disbarment hearing
• The Guardian – Trump election lawyer faces disbarment hearing in California