A judge has recommended that conservative attorney John Eastman lose his California law license over his efforts to keep former President Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election. Eastman, who faces 11 disciplinary charges in the state bar court, developed a legal strategy to have then-Vice President Mike Pence interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. The judge’s recommendation now goes to the California Supreme Court for a final ruling on whether Eastman should be disbarred.
Eastman separately faces criminal charges in Georgia in a case accusing Trump and 18 allies of conspiring to overturn the Republican’s loss in the state. Eastman, who has pleaded not guilty, argued he was merely doing his job as Trump’s attorney when he challenged the results of the 2020 election. He has denounced the case as targeting attorneys “for their zealous advocacy on behalf of their clients.” However, the State Bar of California alleges that Eastman violated the state’s business and professions code by making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption.”
Eastman was a close adviser to Trump in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He wrote a memo laying out a plan for Pence to reject legitimate electoral votes for Biden to keep Trump in the White House. Prosecutors seeking to strip Eastman of his law license depicted him as a Trump enabler who fabricated baseless theories and made false claims of fraud in hopes of overturning the election results. However, Eastman’s attorney countered that his client never intended to steal the election but was considering ways to delay electoral vote counting for states to investigate allegations of voting improprieties.
Eastman has been a member of the California Bar since 1997 and served as dean of Chapman University law school in Southern California. He retired in 2021 after more than 160 faculty members signed a letter calling for the university to take action against him. The State Bar of California alleges that Eastman violated the state’s business and professions code by making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption.”
The judge’s recommendation to strip Eastman of his law license now goes to the California Supreme Court for a final decision. Eastman can appeal the top court’s ruling. The State Bar of California alleges that Eastman violated the state’s business and professions code by making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption.”
As the legal proceedings continue, Eastman faces the possibility of being disbarred and losing his ability to practice law in California. The California Supreme Court will make the final decision on whether Eastman should be disbarred. Eastman’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the judge’s decision. He remains embroiled in various legal cases and controversies stemming from his efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
