California Supreme Court Disbars John Eastman

The California Supreme Court has disbarred attorney John Eastman, a key figure in former President Donald Trump's attempts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results, ordering his name removed from the state's roll of attorneys. The decision, issued on Wednesday, concludes a multiyear disciplinary process by the State Bar of California stemming from Eastman's role in devising strategies to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden's victory.

Eastman, admitted to the California bar in 1997 and a former dean of Chapman University's law school, drafted memos in late December 2020 and early January 2021 urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes from several battleground states or delay the process to allow state legislatures to investigate unsubstantiated fraud claims. These actions, according to bar officials, violated ethical rules by promoting false assertions about widespread election irregularities that had been repeatedly rejected by courts, state officials, and federal agencies, including the Justice and Homeland Security departments.

A State Bar Court judge, Yvette D. Roland, recommended disbarment in March 2024 following a 35-day hearing that...