That lawyer, John Eastman, is a member in good standing of the conservative legal establishment. John Charles Eastman (born 1960) is an American lawyer who is the founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the conservative think tank Claremont Institute. A federal judge in California previously found that Trump and Eastman more likely than not violated two felony statutes in their attempts to overturn the election: obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States. John Eastman, Brother-in-Law of Paul McCartney, Dies at 83 - TheWrap The article was harshly criticized as both a bizarre reading of constitutional law and a possible wink to the birther conspiracy theory, which falsely contended former President Barack Obama wasnt born in the United States. His father, who had changed his name from Leopold Epstein, set up a successful legal practice representing high-profile musicians, artists and writers, among them the bandleader Tommy Dorsey and the songwriters Harold Arlen and Hal David. Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis faces imminent formal complaint in (Chesebro apparently referred to Trump's tweet five days earlier inviting supporters to a "wild" January 6 protest.) An. [115], Judge Carter ruled in October 2022 that Eastman must turn over an additional 33 documents to the January 6 committee, including eight he determined were ineligible for attorney-client privilege because they related to possible criminal activity. In 2017, Mr. Eastman steered a lawsuit by Mr. McCartney against Sony/ATV, the music publisher (now known as Sony Music Publishing), to regain his share of the United States copyrights in Beatles songs that he wrote with Mr. Lennon, citing an amendment to federal law that allows creators to recapture those rights after set periods. John Eastman vs. the Eastman Memo | National Review As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Beatles' Sir Paul McCartney recently took to his Instagram to mourn the death of his brother-in-law, John Eastman, who was also his lawyer. Who is John Eastman and why is he being referred for charges? "[118][119] In March 2022, the State Bar of California announced that since September 2021, it had been investigating claims of possible violations of law and ethics rules by Eastman. A private Facebook group named "FrontLiners for Liberty," which included over 50 people and was created in August 2020, showed Thomas as an administrator. Exhibit N", "How Pence used 43 words to shut down Trump allies' election subversion on Jan. 6", "Chapman professor will retire after uproar over his speaking at Trump rally", "Law Prof Who Spoke at White House Rally Abruptly Retires Amid Calls for His Firing", "Federal Judge Finds Trump Most Likely Committed Crimes Over 2020 Election", "Judge: 'More likely than not' that Trump 'corruptly attempted' to block Congress from counting votes on January 6", "Jan. 6 committee sends DOJ historic criminal referral of Trump over Capitol riot", "The University of Chicago Law Review Volume 62 Masthead", "California's 34th Congressional District", "Dean John Eastman On The Powers Of The Senate Vis--vis The SCOTUS Vacancy", "Search - Supreme Court of the United States", United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, "Challengers Find the Road to Congress Is Uphill Struggle: Elections", "Eastman resigns as Dean of the Chapman University School of Law", "2 AG hopefuls from O.C. John C. Eastman, a conservative legal scholar from California, came up with a plan that would . The emails were stored on servers at Eastman's former employer, Chapman University, which had been subpoenaed and did not object to their release. John Eastman and his wife Elizabeth C'de Baca Eastman. State Bar Announces John Eastman Ethics Investigation - The State Bar John Eastman on Thursday, April 29, 2021. But the committee argued Eastman's use of university email destroyed any attorney-client privilege to keep the documents confidential. A former clerk to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Eastman helms the Center for. The case was settled; the terms were not disclosed, but Mr. McCartney has been registering the American ownership of those rights under MPL. Several news outlets reported Wednesday the committee got emails between Eastman and Ginni Thomas, a right-wing activist married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who pushed to overturn Bidens winbut the emails contents arent known. Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post/Getty Images. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Pompeo calls $31 trillion national debt indecent at CPAC, Trump recites Pledge of Allegiance in collaboration on new song with J6 Prison Choir, Bidens laughable, late-to-the-game crackdown on massive COVID fraud, 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley heckled by Trump supporters at CPAC, made similar statements outside the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. As a result of information received from credible sources and numerous court rulings, by no later than on or about December 9, 2020, respondent knew, or was grossly negligent in not knowing, that there was no evidence upon which a reasonable attorney would rely of election fraud or illegality that could have affected the outcome of the election, and that there was no evidence upon which a reasonable attorney would rely that the election had been stolen by the Democratic Party or other parties acting in a coordinated conspiracy to fraudulently steal the election from Trump, the notice continues. Paul McCartney Honors Late Wife Linda's Brother After His Death - Peoplemag Any lawyer engaged to provide his or her legal assessment in a dynamic, consequential, and often emotional arena should be deeply troubled by the notion that a licensing authority (bar) can take their license if they do not like the lawyers advice, or find the advocacy distasteful, Millers statement said. The briefing included Giuliani; John Eastman, the attorney behind the theory that Vice President Mike Pence could reject the Electoral College results; White House trade adviser Peter Navarro . Court orders conservative lawyer John Eastman to turn over 159 Eastman Trumps personal lawyer when he was in office penned a six-step legal plan claiming then-Vice President Mike Pence didnt have to accept the election results in certain swing states, which Pence rejected. As part of their preparations for the case, Mr. Eastman suggested that his brother-in-law wear a suit and tie to court. There is nothing to it. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images). Chesebro had emailed Rudy Giuliani 11 days earlier with a proposal for Pence to recuse himself from the January 6 certification so a senior Republican senator could count fraudulent elector slates to declare Trump the victor. John Eastman's California bar danger could hurt him at the Supreme Eastman purchased the unit at. As the president's actual attorneys backed away from his coup, Eastman rushed in to . Some of the records sought by the January 6 panel could offer new insight into Eastmans work. The State Bar of California's Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced today the filing of a Notice of Disciplinary Charges (NDC) against attorney John Charles Eastman (State Bar No. Donald Trump appears to have committed multiple felonies as he sought to return himself to power on 6 January, a judge said in a Monday ruling that ordered the Trump lawyer John Eastman to. Eastman retired from his position at Chapman less than a week later, claiming his colleagues had created a hostile environment. Meanwhile, the State Bar of California opened an ethics investigation into Eastman last year (State Bar spokesperson Rick Coca told Forbes the investigation remains pending, and Californias bar database lists Eastman as an active attorney with no disciplinary history). After Thursday's hearing John Eastman should get a good criminal "There is nothing more sacrosanct to our American democracy than free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power." John L. Eastman, McCartney's Lawyer in Beatles' Strife, Dies at 83 An entertainment attorney for high-profile clients, he was central to a battle over control of the Beatles' business. (Jim Bourg/Reuters) In extensive conversations with NR, the . [106], On June 7, Carter ruled that Eastman must disclose an additional 159 sensitive documents to the committee. Their connection was both professional and personal. The strategy hinged partly on a dubious plan to get swing-state Republicans to sign off on alternate electors falsely deeming Trumpnot Bidento be the winner of their states: In a set of December 2020 emails to one Pennsylvania GOP lawmaker, Eastman suggested legislators could assert the right to appoint an alternate slate of electors or subtract mail-in ballots from Trump and Bidens totals at a prorated amount.. [31], In 1990 Eastman was unopposed in the primary to become the Republican challenger of long-time 34th District incumbent Esteban Torres in California's San Gabriel Valley. Eastman disclosed the. Before he urged Vice President Mike Pence to unilaterally hand the 2020 election to Donald Trump, right-wing lawyer John Eastman, who represented Trump after the election, floated a somewhat. [90] Eastman referred to an "antifa and BLM guy" who had been arrested after the Capitol incursion, an apparent reference to John Earle Sullivan, a Utah man who some characterized as an "antifa leader" who had supposedly infiltrated the rally crowd to instigate the insurgency. (Courtesy of the Eastmans) A GROUP calling itself The 65 Project has targeted nearly 100 lawyers, including me, state attorneys general and . Attorney John Eastman Charged with Multiple Disciplinary Counts by the John Eastman, a Republican lawyer who allegedly played a leading role in the overall coup scheme, reportedly pleaded the Fifth with both the Jan. 6 committee and a Georgia special grand jury . 'Evil' Fox News vs. 'trusted' CNN | Commentary | norfolkdailynews.com "[123], On January 9, 2021, the chairman of Chapman's board of trustees and two other members (including former Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez) called on the university's president and provost and the law school's dean "to promptly take action against Eastman for his role in the events of Jan. [103][104], In May 2022, the University of Colorado, where Eastman was a visiting professor, released an email Eastman sent to Pennsylvania legislator Russ Diamond in December 2020. More than 60 courts rejected election fraud claims by Trump and his allies. Chapman School of Law professor John Eastman testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 16, 2017. At Wikipedia, don't even ask. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Who is John Eastman, the Trump lawyer at the center of the Jan. 6 [2][3] He is a former professor and dean at the Chapman University School of Law. Eastman's brief included an array of unfounded claims and asserted "It is not necessary for [Trump] to prove that fraud occurred," and asserted it was enough to show that elections "materially deviated" from the intent of state lawmakers, adding, "By failing to follow the rule of law, these officials put our nation's belief in elected self-government at risk. In Memoriam: John Eastman '64 | NYU School of Law Its unclear if Eastman had information on the high court's usually-secretive deliberations. John Eastman: From California lawyer to Trump true believer - Los John L. Eastman, a lawyer for musicians and artists whose representation of famous clients like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Willem de Kooning made him a force in the entertainment world, and who played a key part in a power struggle over the control of the Beatles business in the last days of the band, died on Aug. 10 in East Hampton, N.Y. The next year, after briefly working in the office of the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, he and his father set up Eastman & Eastman. Have a tip we should know? Legal Ethics, Bar Discipline and John Eastman - Lawfare UpdateJan. The John Eastman Coup Memo Is Not a Joke | The New Republic His mother had inherited a fortune from the Lindner department store in Cleveland. John L. Eastman, McCartney's Lawyer in Beatles' Strife, Dies at 83 The 61-year-old lawyer's rsum features some of the top credentials of the conservative legal movement: clerkships with former Judge Michael Luttig and Justice Clarence Thomas, the chairmanship. Exclusive: Trump's Team Setting Up Eastman to Take Blame for Jan. 6. Who is John Eastman and why is he important to the Jan. 6 hearings? Mr. McCartney had tried to persuade his bandmates to allow Mr. Eastman to represent them. [57] Eastman called the vice president "the ultimate arbiter" of the election in his two-page memo. [75][76][77], On January 6, Eastman spoke alongside Giuliani at the "Save America" rally that preceded the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol and asserted without evidence that balloting machines contained "secret folders" that altered voting results. [57] Eastman circulated a two-page outline and memo to the Trump legal team several days later, followed by a more extensive memo later. Eastman said that she could have subsequently obtained citizenship derived from the naturalization of her parents if one of them had become a citizen prior to her 16th birthday in 1980, which would have allowed Harris to fulfill the nine-year citizenship requirement necessary to become a senator. Chesebro responded: "the odds of action before Jan. 6 will become more favorable if the justices start to fear that there will be 'wild' chaos on Jan. 6 unless they rule by then, either way." The Thomas email was among those Carter ordered Eastman to release to the January 6 committee. [124][125] Four days later, Chapman announced that Eastman had agreed to retire from the university, and the university's president, Daniele C. Struppa, said that Eastman and the university had "agreed not to engage in legal actions of any kind, including any claim of defamation that may currently exist, as both parties move forward". Eastman responded that he was speaking two miles away from the Capitol building. [68] Eastman and the Thomases are longtime friends. Have a tip or story idea? [57] He also asserted in October that a scenario in which Pence would reject ballots was "foolish" and "crazy," further claiming he had told Pence during their Oval Office meeting that his proposal was an "open question" and "the weaker argument". John Eastman Trying to Shield Jan. 6 Committee From 11,000 Documents An entertainment attorney for high-profile clients, he was central to a battle over control of the Beatles business empire in the last days of the band. He later joined Chapman to teach constitutional law. [112][113] Federal judge Robert Brack rejected Eastman's request on July 15. Advertisement. stands onstage as Rudy Giuliani speaks in Washington on January 6, 2021. A firm tied to Trump lawyer John Eastman received $10,000 from Rep The California bar determined Eastman made, "false and misleading statements that constitute acts of dishonesty, and corruption." [85][86], Appearing on CNN on January 23 to argue that the Trump rally did not incite the siege of the Capitol, Eastman asserted that "a paramilitary group as well as antifa groups" had been organizing "three or four days ahead of time". Trump Lawyer John Eastman Literally Told A Lawmaker To Toss Absentee How Lawyers John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark Breathed Life Into Trump's [57], In early December 2020, Trump contacted Eastman, asking him to challenge the results of the 2020 United States presidential election before the Supreme Court. Kowalke and NJP lawyer Goriune Dudukgian argued Eastman's lifetime membership in the far-right group made him disloyal and therefore ineligible to hold office in Alaska under the state . Trump lawyer John Eastman takes Fifth at Georgia grand jury Key Points A lawyer who pushed to overturn the 2020 election loss of then-President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment. A University of Chicago Law School graduate who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Eastman has taught constitutional law for decades. - No, John Eastman, you can't edit your own article here", "Born in the USA-Rethinking Birthright Citizenship in the Wake of 9/11. [130][131], On January 7, 2021, Eastman edited this Wikipedia article to portray his post-election role in a more favorable light. There is nothing more sacrosanct to our American democracy than free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power, said State Bar of California chief trial counsel George Cardona, according to a report by Law & Crime. Since then, he has tangled with the committee over its demands for thousands of records, arguing to Judge Carter many of these documents are protected by attorney-client privilege. Trump in recent weeks has told confidants that he sees no reason to defend the lawyer who tried to help him overturn the 2020 . The Notice of Disciplinary Charges alleges that Mr. Eastman violated this duty in furtherance of an attempt to usurp the will of the American people and overturn election results for the highest office in the land an egregious and unprecedented attack on our democracy for which he must be held accountable.. [62], On December 22, 2020, Ivan Raiklin, an attorney and associate of Michael Flynn, tweeted to Trump a two-page memo entitled "Operation Pence Card," which Trump retweeted two days later. Eastman attorney Randall Miller said in a lengthy statement that Eastman "disputes 'every aspect' of the action that has been filed against him by the State Bar," and alleged the charges were. California Bar Slaps John Eastman with Disciplinary Charges Paul McCartney honors ex brother-in-law after his death - Page Six [125][127], The University of Colorado cancelled Eastman's Spring 2021 courses due to low enrollment. The lawyer also repped Trump, 76, in a Supreme Court case seeking to overturn the election results in four states where Trump alleged there d been voter fraud. While it is unlikely that conservative lawyer John Eastman will testify publicly before the Jan. 6 committee, his name and the legal advice he gave former . [97], As Eastman sought to withhold some emails, in March 2022 the committee continued to seek them, stating in a federal court filing that the evidence it had acquired "provides, at minimum, a good-faith basis for concluding" Trump and his campaign violated multiple laws in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States by attempting to prevent Congress from certifying his defeat. Carter concluded it showed the Trump legal team had decided to "evade judicial review to overturn a democratic election" and "forged ahead with a political campaign to disrupt the electoral count. Carter noted one email in particular that contained what he found was likely evidence of a crime and ordered it disclosed under the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege. The group's front page carried a banner stating, "the enemy of Americais the radical fascist left." Stiffed, Sued, Deposed, And Maybe Crime-Frauded: The Rudy Giuliani As Trumps legal avenues to overturn his reelection loss grew thinner, Eastman offered up an unconventional strategy based on fringe legal theories: Eastman argued Vice President Mike Pencein his role as Senate presidentcould refuse to count some of Bidens electoral votes during the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. A Federalist Society Star Helped Foment the Capitol Riot - Slate Magazine John Eastman - Wikipedia A state bar courthas to rule on the charges Eastman faces and then recommend a discipline if they rule against him. John Eastman, the mediocre lawyer who apparently participated in a treasonous effort to veto the 2020 U.S. Presidential popular vote and electoral count, resides in Santa Fe, which annoys many . He said he would continue with his Spring 2021 position as Visiting Professor of Conservative Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado and intended to then devote full-time effort to his position as director of the Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence. A letter signed by three of the Beatles in 1969 during a legal fight over control of the groups business empire. He is a founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. ", "John Eastman Named National Organization For Marriage Chairman", "Claremont Institute - Board of Directors", "What the Hell Happened to the Claremont Institute? Eastman still persisted with his election fraud claims long after that date, through at least Jan. 6, 2021. John Eastman searched and had phone seized by federal agents last - CNN