John Eastman, the former Orange County law school dean who helped forge Donald Trump’s legal strategy for retaining power after losing his 2020 presidential bid, should be disbarred, a State Bar Court judge ruled Wednesday.

State Bar Court Judge Recommends Disbarring John Eastman

Judge Yvette Roland's recommendation to yank the 63-year-old Eastman’s license to practice law in California will go to the state Supreme Court, which has the power to approve it.

State Bar’s Argument Against Eastman

In a marathon trial that lasted off and on from June to November, the State Bar, the agency that regulates lawyers, argued that Eastman was unfit to practice law for peddling bogus claims that fraud cost Trump the election and for promoting a fake-elector scheme to block the electoral count.

Accusations Against Eastman

Eastman fomented "predictable and destructive chaos” when he stood beside fellow Trump advisor Rudolph W. Giuliani on Jan. 6, 2021, and told an enormous crowd the election had been fraudulent, the bar argued.

Eastman’s Defense

Eastman claimed he was acting in good faith, and as a vigorous champion of his client. But State Bar attorneys argued “the evidence, including his often not-credible trial testimony, shows that he held — and still holds — truth and democracy in contempt, deliberately disregarding facts that demonstrate the validity of Biden’s victory to further a false narrative that would ignore the Constitution, disenfranchise millions of voters, and undermine a democratic election for President of the United States in favor of his allegiance to Trump.”

Questionable Actions by Eastman

Rather than conduct honest research, Eastman “purposely parroted the misguided opinions and narratives of demonstrably unqualified, unvetted, and unreliable ‘experts,’” bar attorneys argued.

Eastman’s Legal Troubles

Eastman, the former dean of Chapman University’s law school, still has a license to practice law in Washington, D.C. He has been indicted, along with Trump and 17 others, in Fulton County, Ga., for election-related schemes. Eastman has vowed to fight the charges. Four of his co-defendants — including attorneys Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell — have pleaded guilty.

Allegations Against Eastman

All along, Eastman’s defense has been that he was performing his duty as a vigorous legal advocate for Trump, advancing his legal theories in good faith, with a subjective belief in their merit. His defense attorneys argued that his public statements were protected by the 1st Amendment.

Eastman’s Self-Perception

Eastman portrays himself as a battling patriot who has been subjected to “false narratives and calumnies.” He said he is the victim of “lawfare,” an attempt to silence unpopular views with legal machinery.

Continued Support for Eastman

Despite his legal problems, Eastman has continued to speak publicly about the election. He recently got a warm welcome at a luncheon meeting of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage.

Legal Costs and Support

According to his GiveSendGo page, Eastman has raised $636,602, with a goal of $750,000. In an interview with The Times, Eastman said that he expects his legal bills — from the bar trial, the Georgia indictment and other election-related trouble — will cost him $3 million to $3.5 million. He said recently that he had no regrets.