WASHINGTON (AP) — Three lawyers who were involved in former President Donald Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election results are now facing disciplinary proceedings from the D.C. Bar. Sidney Powell, Howard Kleinhendler, and George T. Conway III are accused of filing “egregiously false claims” about election fraud and violating professional ethics.
Powell, who gained notoriety for her involvement in Trump’s failed legal campaign to overturn Joe Biden’s victories in swing states, dubbed her efforts the “Kraken” lawsuits. After her time with Powell, she later represented several defendants associated with the January 6th Capitol insurrection. Kleinhendler worked alongside Powell in many of these lawsuits.
The charges against the three lawyers are part of a larger wave of disciplinary proceedings taking place across the country against attorneys who assisted Trump’s attempts to subvert the election. Jenna Ellis, another lawyer from the Trump campaign, was reprimanded by Colorado authorities for making false representations about election fraud. John Eastman, a key architect of Trump’s last-ditch effort to block Biden’s Electoral College win, faces a final judgment in California for violating professional ethics. Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor and Trump’s personal attorney, has been suspended from practicing law in New York and Washington, D.C.
The disciplinary hearings for Powell, Kleinhendler, and Conway will be conducted by a committee of the D.C. Bar. If found guilty, they could face various sanctions, ranging from reprimands to suspension or disbarment.
The bar investigators allege that Powell and Kleinhendler made baseless claims about election fraud, including the unfounded belief that foreign governments and oligarchs manipulated Dominion voting machines. These claims were consistently rejected by courts across multiple states. The investigators assert that the lawyers knew or should have known that their lawsuits were frivolous and lacked any factual basis.
Conway, meanwhile, faces separate charges for falsely asserting that groups of pro-Trump presidential electors were “duly qualified” in swing states, despite Biden’s victory in those states. The investigators argue that Conway knew these claims were false and lacked any evidential support.
None of the three lawyers have provided a comment in response to the charges brought against them. However, Powell and Kleinhendler have already faced disciplinary proceedings in Michigan related to their election litigation efforts.
In Michigan, a federal appeals court upheld sanctions against Powell and her allies, further adding to the legal consequences they face. The proceedings against these attorneys serve as a reminder of the ongoing fallout from the legal challenges that attempted to overturn the 2020 election results.
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This article presents the latest disciplinary proceedings against three lawyers involved in former President Donald Trump’s campaign to challenge the 2020 election results. Sidney Powell, Howard Kleinhendler, and George T. Conway III now face allegations of filing false claims about election fraud and violating professional ethics. The charges against them are part of a larger series of disciplinary actions targeting attorneys who supported Trump’s attempts to subvert the election. These disciplinary hearings will determine the potential sanctions against the lawyers, ranging from reprimands to disbarment.
The bar investigators accuse Powell and Kleinhendler of making baseless claims about election fraud, specifically regarding the manipulation of Dominion voting machines by foreign governments and oligarchs. The investigators argue that the lawyers knew their lawsuits lacked factual basis and should be considered frivolous. Conway, on the other hand, faces charges for falsely asserting that pro-Trump electors were “duly qualified” in swing states, despite Biden’s victory in those states.
These charges serve as another blow to the lawyers’ reputations and careers, as they join a growing list of attorneys facing consequences for their involvement in the legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, and Rudy Giuliani are among the others who have faced disciplinary actions or suspension from practicing law in various jurisdictions. The ongoing proceedings against Powell, Kleinhendler, and Conway shed light on the significant repercussions faced by those who attempted to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
In the broader context, these disciplinary actions underscore the importance of upholding professional ethics and the rule of law in the legal profession. As officers of the court, attorneys play a crucial role in ensuring justice and maintaining public trust. The scrutiny faced by these lawyers serves as a reminder of the consequences that may be imposed on those who abuse their legal positions for political purposes. The disciplinary proceedings against Powell, Kleinhendler, and Conway aim to establish accountability and maintain the standards of the legal profession.