A California state bar judge made the decision to disbar John Eastman. Eastman was a co-defendant of former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election subversion case in Georgia.
California State Bar Court Hearing Judge Yvette Roland wrote in her 128-page ruling that Eastman’s actions amounted to grave ethical misconduct, deserving of significant professional consequences.
Eastman served as a lawyer for Trump during his time in the White House. He is among the 19 defendants, including the former president, who are accused in the Georgia case. The case alleges their involvement in a conspiracy to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. This conspiracy ultimately led to the attack on Congress on January 6, 2021.
According to reports, the individual hails from Nebraska and is widely regarded as a key figure in the strategy to substitute valid Biden electors with fraudulent Trump electors across various contested states. Allegedly, he played a pivotal role in promoting the notion that former Vice President Mike Pence possessed the power to postpone or halt the certification of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.
The defendant entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
The State Bar of California initiated an investigation into Eastman and the 11 disciplinary charges filed against him in January 2023, in September of 2021.
After a trial that lasted over 35 days, with the participation of 23 witnesses and the presentation of more than 700 exhibits, Roland delivered her judgment on Wednesday. In her ruling, she found Eastman responsible for 10 disciplinary charges related to failing to provide support.
Roland accused Eastman of making numerous false and misleading statements about the 2020 presidential election and Vice President Pence’s authority to refuse or delay counting certified slates of electoral votes. These statements were made in court filings, public remarks, and conversations with others.
Eastman expressed his strong opposition to the trial’s ruling and its legitimacy in a statement released on Wednesday. He emphasized his determination to appeal the decision, even if it means taking the case to the Supreme Court. Eastman believes that it is crucial to combat what he calls “lawfare,” as it poses a significant danger to the First Amendment and the right to legal representation for clients and causes that are considered controversial.
According to his legal representation at Miller Law Associates, they argue that Eastman’s actions after the November 2020 election were typical of lawyers advocating passionately for their clients.
The law firm expressed confidence that the review court will promptly provide a remedy if today’s decision limits the aforementioned principle.
Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona expressed his triumph, celebrating the court’s determination that Eastman not only consistently neglected his obligation to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law but also posed a threat to the fundamental principles of democracy.
In a statement, Cardona accused Mr. Eastman of forsaking his ethical and legal responsibilities as an attorney. He alleged that Mr. Eastman collaborated with then-President Donald Trump to devise and execute a plan aimed at impeding the counting of electoral votes on January 6, 2021. This plan sought to unlawfully disrupt the peaceful transition of power to President-elect Joseph Biden. Cardona asserted that Mr. Eastman was fully aware that there was no valid legal basis to reject the electoral votes from any state or to delay the January 6 electoral count.
Mr. Eastman’s attempts were unsuccessful solely because our democratic institutions and their defenders remained steadfast. The damage resulting from Mr. Eastman’s neglect of his legal obligations, as well as the peril his conduct posed to our democracy, clearly justify his disbarment.
