John Eastman’s Request: Legal Battle for Professional License

TFD – Delve into the legal battle of John Eastman as he seeks to regain his professional license amidst a backdrop of legal challenges and mounting expenses. Discover the intricacies of the California bar disciplinary proceedings and the implications for Eastman and his high-profile clients, including notable Trump allies.

In an effort to defend Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene in a political speech dispute, former Trump lawyer John Eastman is attempting to regain his professional license. He also needs to cover his own legal expenses while he battles allegations related to his attempts to rig the 2020 election.

In response to a disciplinary ruling last month that prevented him from practicing law for the time being, Eastman is requesting that a California judge reinstate his license.

Eastman thinks that, “even if he is fully exonerated” in the Georgia election subversion case, he already owes his lawyers more than $1 million and could incur legal fees of more than $3 million, according to a court filing this week. Among the fifteen defendants still on the books is the former president Donald Trump. Trial dates have not yet been set.

The filing offers a unique glimpse into the extent of Eastman’s legal work and the rising legal expenses for Trump’s allies. Eastman attempted to convince then-Vice President Mike Pence to stop the handoff of power from Trump to Joe Biden by spreading false information about the 2020 election.

The consequences of Eastman’s work on the 2020 election were made worse last week when Judge Yvette Roland, a judge in charge of California’s state bar proceedings, ruled that he ought to be disbarred for his court filings and other actions supporting Trump.

His law license was rendered inactive as a result of that ruling over the weekend, which prevents him from taking on clients while he files an appeal. The California Supreme Court would ultimately need to uphold the disbarment.

His attorneys wrote in their request this week to the California judge, “If the Order placing Dr. Eastman on inactive enrollment were not stayed, Dr. Eastman would lose his ability to make a living as an attorney at a time when other matters arising out of his representation of the former President of the United States… have already caused him to incur more than $1 million in legal fees.”

They added, “Dr. Eastman’s ability to defend himself in Fulton County would be highly prejudiced by the loss of income from the practice of law in the face of such necessity.”

As he prepares for a felony trial in Fulton County, Georgia, in the state-level conspiracy case involving Trump and the 2020 election, Eastman thinks his legal bills could reach $3 million or more.

Eastman further informed the judge that he is no longer a threat to the public or his client because he no longer represents Trump in election challenges.

After the 2020 election, Eastman kept on his legal career to cover his costs, taking on high-profile clients such Republicans Gaetz and Greene and the Republican Party of Colorado in a number of litigation.

Eastman represented roughly six clients on constitutional matters, particularly those pertaining to elections, before his law license was revoked.

He contested the state’s open primaries on behalf of the Colorado Republican Party. Additionally, he defended Gaetz and Greene in their legal battle against the city of Anaheim and Riverside, California, for allegedly canceling their political events in 2021. The cities tried to have their lawsuit dismissed, but a federal court allowed it to proceed.

In addition, Eastman frequently writes amicus briefs for conservative organizations before the Supreme Court.

Now, those well-known clientele are advocating on his behalf to carry on with his legal practice. According to a sworn declaration Eastman gave the judge, the clients are aware of his disciplinary issues with the California bar but still want him to represent them.

In order to avoid aggravating already existing First Amendment violations, I am writing to ask you to allow him to continue representing me in that case. In a letter to the State Bar of California, Gaetz stated, “I have a right to the counsel of my choice and I know there is no other competent, qualified attorney whom I can trust in this matter.”

According to campaign finance reports, Greene’s campaign committee and the joint fundraising committee “Put America First” have paid Eastman’s law partnership approximately $25,000 for legal services since 2021.

According to the court documents, several of Eastman’s clients have also submitted sworn statements to the California judge expressing their desire for him to continue representing them. One such client is the mother of a middle school student who Eastman is currently defending in a First Amendment lawsuit. The child had been asked to leave his middle school for carrying a backpack with patches that included the “Don’t tread on me” Gadsden flag.

The California bar disciplinary prosecutor has more than a week to reply, and the disciplinary court has not yet made a decision regarding Eastman’s request.