“I think it’s important, quite beyond the partisan controversies over the former president … to identify whether our election system has such vulnerabilities that we can’t trust it anymore.” “There are huge problems,” Eastman added, saying he wanted to ensure that alleged voting irregularities did not influence the outcome in the election. In an interview after the hearing, Eastman said he had not been contacted by the Justice Department or summoned by the grand jury.Įastman said of his advice to Trump, “It’s what lawyers are expected to do, kind of lay out what are the options we have before us to consider.” That day, law enforcement officials conducted similar activity around the country as part of their probe. He ran for California attorney general in 2010, finishing second in the Republican primary.Įastman retired as dean of the Chapman University law school in Southern California last year after more than 160 faculty members signed a letter calling for the university to take action against him.Įastman’s disciplinary hearing comes as special counsel Jack Smith continues his investigation into efforts by Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.Ī federal grand jury in Washington has been meeting behind closed doors for months to hear testimony from witnesses, including Pence, who has publicly described a pressure campaign by Trump aimed at getting him to halt Congress’ certification of the election results and the win by Biden, a Democrat.įederal agents seized Eastman’s cellphone last summer as he was leaving a restaurant, he said in a court filing. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. The California Supreme Court makes the final decision.ĭuncan Carling of the office of chief trial counsel - which is seeking Eastman’s disbarment - said Eastman’s legal theory was “unsupported by historical precedent and law and contrary to our values as a nation.” Eastman continued his efforts to undermine the election even after state and federal officials publicly rejected Trump allies’ claims of fraud, Carling said.Įastman has been a member of the California Bar since 1997, according to its website. If the court finds Eastman culpable of the alleged violations it can recommend a punishment such as suspending or revoking his law license. Trump’s claims of fraud were roundly rejected by courts, including by judges the Republican appointed.Įastman faces 11 disciplinary charges in the State Bar Court of California stemming from his development of a dubious legal strategy aimed at having Vice President Mike Pence interfere with the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
Eastman’s attorney countered that his client never intended to steal the election, but was considering ways to delay electoral-vote counting so states could investigate allegations of voting improprieties.
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