Jul 2, 2024,11:44am EDT
Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani was formally disbarred in New York on Monday for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election—the latest in a series of lawyers facing legal consequences for their association with former President Donald Trump.
Key Facts:
Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani, who spearheaded Trump’s post-election efforts, has been formally disbarred in New York after his law license was previously suspended. The former New York City mayor also faces criminal charges in Arizona for his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election—where he initially tried to avoid being served—after already being charged in Georgia. He has also been sued for defamation by voting machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic and ordered to pay $148 million to Georgia election workers whom he defamed, leading to Giuliani declaring bankruptcy.
Kenneth Chesebro: Known as the architect of the Trump campaign’s “fake electors” scheme, Chesebro has been criminally charged in Wisconsin for forgery, after previously being indicted in Georgia. He took a plea deal right before his case went to trial.
James Troupis: Troupis, another Trump attorney involved in the false electors scheme, was charged in Wisconsin. He had previously avoided criminal charges in other states and settled a civil lawsuit in Wisconsin in March.
Jenna Ellis: Ellis has been charged in Arizona after previously being indicted in Georgia and taking a plea deal. She has been suspended from practicing law for three years due to her guilty plea in Georgia. The Colorado Supreme Court previously censured Ellis for making “reckless” misrepresentations while representing Trump post-election.
John Eastman: Eastman faces charges in Arizona and has been indicted in Georgia. He also faces 11 charges from the California State Bar related to his efforts to challenge the election results. A judge recommended his disbarment in March.
Christina Bobb: Bobb, a former One America News anchor and current attorney for the Republican National Committee, has been charged in Arizona. She joined Trump’s legal team in November 2020, and the indictment ties her to the “fake elector” scheme.
Jeffrey Clark: Former DOJ attorney Clark has faced charges from the D.C. bar for aiding Trump’s post-election efforts. A D.C. ethics committee found he broke at least one rule of professional conduct, setting the stage for possible disbarment. He has also been charged in Georgia.
Sidney Powell: Powell faces disciplinary investigations in Michigan and lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic. She has been criminally charged in Georgia but reached a plea deal.
Michael Cohen: Trump’s longtime attorney served a three-year sentence for tax evasion and campaign finance-related crimes related to “hush money” payments.
Alina Habba: Habba, representing Trump in various legal battles, has been sanctioned multiple times in Trump’s failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.
Cleta Mitchell: Mitchell resigned from her law firm after participating in Trump’s phone call urging Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results.
Other Georgia Attorneys: Ray Smith and Robert Cheeley were indicted in the Georgia case against Trump and his allies.
Pending Complaints: Ethics complaints remain pending against multiple Trump lawyers who aided his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including Mitchell and Boris Epshteyn.
Attorneys’ Fees: Trump and his campaign have been ordered to pay attorneys’ fees in multiple failed lawsuits, including over $20,000 to two Georgia counties, $1.3 million to Omarosa Manigault, and more than $54,000 to Stormy Daniels.
Crucial Quote: “The seriousness of [Giuliani’s] misconduct cannot be overstated,” a panel of New York appeals court judges wrote in their ruling disbarring Giuliani, stating he “flagrantly misused his prominent position” and “repeatedly and intentionally made false statements … in which he baselessly attacked and undermined the integrity of this country’s electoral process.”
What to Watch For: Chesebro and Troupis have yet to be arraigned in Wisconsin. Giuliani, Eastman, Ellis, and Bobb have pleaded not guilty in Arizona. The timeline for the criminal cases in Arizona and Wisconsin is unclear. The investigations into Powell and Ellis are ongoing, and it remains to be seen how the court will rule in Clark’s disbarment hearings. No trial date has been set for defendants in Georgia who haven’t taken plea deals.
Tangent: Lawyers involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election but did not directly represent him in court have also faced punishments. Powell’s co-counsel in the Michigan case were sanctioned and ordered to pay more than $175,000 in attorneys’ fees. Lin Wood, involved in post-election lawsuits, retired before the Georgia State Bar could formally discipline him.
Chief Critic: Giuliani’s spokesperson Ted Goodman called the disbarment a “politically and ideologically corrupted decision,” and Giuliani plans to appeal. Trump’s attorneys largely deny wrongdoing, with the exception of Cohen and those who took plea deals. Eastman’s lawyer maintains that Eastman followed reasonable legal precedent and opposes his disbarment.
Surprising Fact: After court-ordered sanctions in the Clinton case, Trump and Habba withdrew two cases related to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud litigation against the Trump Organization, which courts suggested could result in sanctions.
Key Background: Trump and his allies filed around 60 court cases to change the 2020 election outcome, losing all but one minor dispute in Pennsylvania. Since leaving office, Trump has faced numerous lawsuits, four criminal cases, a civil fraud case by Letitia James, and two defamation lawsuits from E. Jean Carroll. Trump maintains these cases are “witch hunts” designed to harm his presidential campaign and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.