In an opinion column on Sunday, legal analyst Jennifer Rubin expressed that Donald Trump should be concerned following a recent ruling by a California state bar court. The court recommended that John Eastman, Trump’s former attorney, have his law license revoked. Rubin believes that Trump has “plenty to worry about” as a result of this decision.
The California State Bar lodged a complaint against Eastman in 2023, leading to a ruling by Judge Yvette Roland. Judge Roland determined that Eastman was responsible for 10 out of the 11 charges brought against him. These charges were related to his alleged actions in attempting to overturn Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss. As a result of this misconduct, Eastman has been ordered to be disbarred.
Roland’s recommendation is now being reviewed by the California Supreme Court for a final decision. Eastman, who is a staunch ally of Trump, has strongly criticized the judge’s recommendation and has pledged to appeal against it.
In a recent opinion column published by The Washington Post, Rubin highlighted the compelling factual findings and rigorous legal analysis present in Roland’s extensive 128-page ruling.
Roland discussed the issue of law, stating that although lawyers have the right to express themselves publicly in the context of their professional responsibilities, this right does not give them the freedom to knowingly or recklessly make false statements about facts or laws. Additionally, she emphasized that the First Amendment does not protect speech that is used as a tool in the commission of a crime. Rubin, who is also a contributor on MSNBC, further supported this viewpoint.
According to Rubin, Eastman’s lack of protection under the First Amendment could potentially apply to Trump as well. She cited Judge Tanya Chutkan’s rejection of Trump’s First Amendment defense in Jack Smith’s federal election case, as well as Judge Scott McAfee’s skepticism towards Trump’s legal team’s First Amendment defenses in the Georgia election interference case. Despite this, Trump has consistently maintained his innocence in these cases.
“In summary, Eastman’s prospects in his criminal case in Georgia appear bleak in light of Roland’s decision. If Trump encounters similar evidence and employs similar defenses, he should be concerned about his situation in both D.C. and Georgia. It seems that their excuses are not convincing anyone,” Rubin stated in her column.
Eastman, on the other hand, maintains his innocence regarding the charges leveled against him in the Georgia election interference case.
According to Rubin, the ruling by Roland was described as “damning” for the former president.
The evidence leaves no doubt that Eastman and President Trump reached an agreement to hinder the Joint Session of Congress by unlawfully pressuring Vice President Pence to reject or delay the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021. After carefully examining all the facts, the court finds compelling circumstantial evidence indicating a joint effort between Eastman and President Trump to obstruct the counting of elector votes on that day, as outlined in Eastman’s memos.
Eastman has also been implicated as an uncharged co-conspirator in Smith’s case of election interference.
Amid a wave of legal cases targeting key figures involved in Donald Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, Roland’s Eastman ruling stands out. The former president, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, has persistently claimed that the election was rigged against him through extensive voter fraud. However, these claims have been consistently dismissed by both the courts and independent election observers.
In her opinion column, Rubin highlighted other Trump lawyers who have also faced disciplinary action, such as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis.
Officials from the Washington D.C. Bar’s Board of Professional Responsibility are making a case for the potential removal of former Trump lawyer Jeffrey Clark’s legal license. They argue that Clark’s actions, which involved allegedly aiding Trump in his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, warrant such consequences.
