Trump Ally Faces Disbarment For 'Dishonesty': Panel

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, should be stripped of his law license for his role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, a Washington-based disciplinary panel has ruled.
The D.C. Bar's Board on Professional Responsibility issued its ruling on Thursday, stating that Clark "persistently and energetically sought" to pressure Justice Department leaders to make false claims about election fraud and had made "intentionally false statements."
The board concluded that his conduct violated professional ethics and warranted disbarment: "Lawyers cannot advocate for any outcome based on false statements and they certainly cannot urge others to do so," the board said in its report.
"[Clark] persistently and energetically sought to do just that on an important national issue. He should be disbarred as a consequence and to send a message to the rest of the Bar and to the public that this behavior will not be tolerated."
In response, Clark called the process "100% politicized and said, "I know I did the right thing ... and wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I had not proceeded to internally raise the election questions I did."
Why It Matters
If upheld, the panel's ruling would reinforce accountability for government lawyers alleged to have been involved in attempts to subvert election results and add to a growing list of Trump-aligned attorneys facing sanctions over 2020 election challenges.
The board said the ruling is intended to deter future efforts to pressure federal agencies into making false claims on matters of national importance; that it is essential for upholding professional ethics and maintaining public trust in the justice system.
Jeffrey Clark, former Acting Assistant Attorney General, testifies during a January 6th hearing on June 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Clark has launched a legal battle to save his law license after accusations that he...
Jeffrey Clark, former Acting Assistant Attorney General, testifies during a January 6th hearing on June 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. Clark has launched a legal battle to save his law license after accusations that he sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election result. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images) More
MichaelWhat To Know
Clark served as assistant attorney general in Trump's first administration and became a key figure in the president's attempts to challenge his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
According to a Senate Judiciary report, Clark pushed Justice Department superiors to send a letter to Georgia lawmakers stating that federal investigators had found "significant concerns" about the election's outcome—a claim officials had already determined to be false.
Clark's attorney, Harry MacDougald, said during disciplinary hearings last year that the letter was part of normal debate between lawyers and punishment would have a "chilling effect."
Growing List of Trump Allies Hit With Sanctions
Jeffrey Clark, who now serves as acting head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget, is not the first Trump-aligned attorney to face professional sanctions for actions related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and joins a list who have faced or are facing disciplinary action:
Rudy Giuliani: Disbarred in Washington and New York.
Disbarred in Washington and New York. John Eastman: Suspended while appealing disbarment in California.
Suspended while appealing disbarment in California. Jenna Ellis: Three-year suspension in Colorado.
Three-year suspension in Colorado. Kenneth Chesebro: Lost law license in New York.
Rudy Giuliani was disbarred in Washington and lost his New York law license for advancing false claims of election fraud.
John Eastman, who advised Trump on strategies to challenge the election results, has been suspended from practicing law while he appeals a California judge's disbarment recommendation.
Jenna Ellis, a former Trump campaign attorney, agreed to a three-year suspension of her law license in Colorado after admitting to making false statements about the election and pleading guilty in a related Georgia criminal case.
Attorney Kenneth Chesebro, who helped design the so-called "alternate electors" plan, lost his New York law license earlier this year.
What People Are Saying
Jeffrey Clark, responding to Thursday's "100% politicized" decision, said on X: "I know I did the right thing in 2020 and 2021 during the first President Trump Administration and wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I had not proceeded to internally raise the election questions I did."
Harry MacDougald, Clark's attorney, said: "They want to disbar Jeff Clark for the heresy of privately recommending further investigations of the 2020 election." In criticizing the disciplinary proceedings, he argued they unfairly targeted his client for legal advice, saying: "This is a pure thought crime and a travesty of justice."
James Burnham, Managing Partner at King Street Legal, said on X: "I worked closely with Jeff Clark in both Trump Administrations. This is an outrageous weaponization of the bar ethics process—one that could be turned against any lawyer serving in government at any time. All steps must be taken to push back."
Rachel Cauley, White House OMB communications director also denounced the ruling, calling it: "...another chapter in the Deep State's ongoing assault on President Trump and those who stood beside him in defense of the truth," adding: "Jeff Clark has been harassed, raided, doxed, and blacklisted simply for questioning a rigged election and serving President Trump."
What Happens Next
The recommendation now goes to the D.C. Court of Appeals, which will make the final decision on whether Clark will permanently lose his license.
Under D.C. Bar rules, the finding triggers an automatic suspension of Clark's ability to practice law unless he successfully petitions the court within 30 days to block it.