California State Bar probes Trump-connected attorney over 2020 election role
Attorney John Eastman is the subject of a California ethics investigation.
The California State Bar revealed on Tuesday that it has been investigating whether attorney John Eastman violated the law or ethics rules in advising former President Donald Trump on how to contest the results of the 2020 election.
Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said the legal overseer has been examining Eastman’s actions since September of last year. Eastman could potentially be stripped of his ability to practice law in California as a result of the investigation.
“A number of individuals and entities have brought to the State Bar’s attention press reports, court filings, and other public documents detailing Mr. Eastman’s conduct,” Cardona said in a statement.
An attorney for Eastman, Randall Miller, said in a statement that Eastman “expects the Bar’s investigation into these matters will fully exonerate him from any charges.”
“Dr. Eastman, a nationally-recognized constitutional attorney and scholar, represented former President Trump in several election challenges,” Miller said. “As was his duty as an attorney, Dr. Eastman zealously represented his client, comprehensively exploring legal and constitutional means to advance his client’s interests.”
Eastman has attracted intense scrutiny for counseling Trump on how he might challenge President Joe Biden’s victory. The Jan. 6 select committee is investigating Eastman’s work, and a federal judge recently moved to expedite investigators’ effort to obtain Eastman’s emails from the time period around the Capitol insurrection.
The attorney played a key role in formulating a strategy of pushing then-Vice President Mike Pence to override the election results rather than verify them. While Pence did not go along with that tactic, the notion that he could alter the election outcome helped foment a demonstration that descended into violence.