Former Trump Attorney John Eastman’s Disbarment Upheld for Attempt to Overturn 2020 Election
CA State Bar Court Review Panel Reaffirms Disbarment Recommendation, Sends Case to CA Supreme Court; Eastman’s Legal License Remains Revoked
LOS ANGELES — The States United Democracy Center released the following statement in response to the California State Bar Court Review Department’s decision to uphold the ruling that former Trump attorney John Eastman should be disbarred. Eastman has been effectively suspended from practicing law in California since March 2024, when a trial judge first recommended disbarment following a five-month proceeding. The Review Department’s decision reaffirms that recommendation and further finds that certain conduct was intentional. The case now proceeds to the California Supreme Court for final review.
Gillian Feiner, Rule of Law Program Director at the States United Democracy Center:
“John Eastman betrayed his oath to the Constitution with his scheme to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election. He urged courts and state legislators to throw out millions of votes based on false claims of election fraud. He pushed a baseless legal theory to convince the vice president to throw out certified electoral votes. And he fueled the anger of the crowd that attacked the Capitol on January 6 by intentionally, falsely claiming that voting machines manipulated the election results. And he hasn’t expressed any remorse.
This decision is an important step toward meaningful accountability for John Eastman, and a critical reminder to all lawyers that they need to uphold their ethical obligations. As we witness this administration attempt to normalize attacks on our legal and democratic norms, this decision affirms that no one is above the law.”
The Review Department re-emphasized the gravity of Eastman’s misconduct in its decision:
“Due to the serious nature and extent of Eastman’s misconduct and the weight of aggravating circumstances in relation to mitigation, we recommend that Eastman be disbarred. Disbarment is necessary to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession.”
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“The breadth of his attacks on the judge and the labeling of this disciplinary proceeding as a punitive political exercise causes us the greatest of concerns about his ethical abilities as an attorney and officer of the court and demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding concerning his professional ethical obligations.”
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“Given his complete inability to accept responsibility…we have great concern that future misconduct will occur.”
The ethics charges against Eastman stem from his central role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. States United filed the initial bar complaint in 2021, providing evidence of Eastman’s misconduct—frivolous legal filings, false statements, and efforts to pressure elected officials to subvert the will of the voters—which helped lead to 11 disciplinary charges from the California Bar and a 35-day trial in 2023.
Next Steps: The Review Department’s decision is now automatically filed with the California Supreme Court. Eastman or the State Bar may submit a petition for review to the California Supreme Court within 60 days. If the California Supreme Court denies the review petition, the recommendation becomes a final order of the Supreme Court. If no petition for review is filed, the Review Department’s decision becomes final and binding and the permanent disbarment is imposed, unless the Supreme Court takes further action. More details are available here.
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About the States United Democracy Center
States United is a nonpartisan organization that helps state officials on the front lines of democracy protect the rule of law and free, fair, secure elections. We connect state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. For more information, visit statesunited.org.