Bar complaint filed against Trump attorneys in Arizona

[Gothmog]

Linn Wood, Sidney Powell and two attorneys in Powell's firm are named

Link to tweet

PHOENIX — Two former presidents of the Arizona State Bar and five other attorneys have jointly filed an ethics complaint against 21 attorneys who went to court on behalf of President Donald Trump and the Arizona Republican Party after the 2020 election.

The 8-page letter to the Lawyer Regulation Division of the State Bar of Arizona alleges the attorneys knowingly brought 10 “utterly meritless cases” against elections officials.

“Confidence in the legal system is seriously eroded when attorneys treat lawsuits as a platform for broadcasting gossip and innuendo utterly devoid of factual proof, as a political stunt,” the letter states.

The bar complaint requests the State Bar of Arizona conduct an official investigation and “that appropriate action be taken.” If an ethics violation is sustained against an attorney, the consequences could include verbal reprimand, investigation fees, required ethics courses, suspension and disbarment.

Eleven of the attorneys named in the complaint are practicing in Arizona. The others are licensed in other states but worked on the Arizona cases, including the widely known Dallas attorney Sidney Powell.

[vapor2]

1. Great but does anything ever become of these complaints?

[former9thward]

4. No.

As a lawyer (who used to practice in AZ now in IL) I can tell you the only complaints the Bar Association ever looks at are complaints from clients or former clients of lawyers. Usually complaints that a lawyer didn't file a case they said they did or the lawyer stopped communicating with the client. Stuff like that. This complaint in the OP is something to get on the news for a day or two.

[TomDaisy]

13. but this one is from 2 former Bar presidents - connected, respected people at the Bar

[SunSeeker]

15. Exactly. And remember, Bill Clinton was disbarred for lying about whether he had an affair.

Seems to me that lying about the existence of widespread fraud in order to overturn our democracy is a tad more serious than anything Bill Clinton ever did.

[former9thward]

21. Bill Clinton took an oath and then lied before a grand jury.

A far different standard.

[SunSeeker]

28. It was immaterial to the investigation of the Whitewater land deal.

Having an affair is not a crime.

[former9thward]

32. His appearance had nothing to do with Whitewater.

It was about a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones.

[SunSeeker]

33. Yes, but Starr still ran with it. Which is my point. It was total crap.

Bill Clinton did not receive any fucking "latitude." It was an investigation about the Whitewater land deal. Starr could find no wrongdoing so he went after an immaterial lie about an irrelevant private matter. It should not have even counted as perjury since it was immaterial to the investigation. It wasn't even material to the Paula Jones sexual harassment case. Lewinsky always maintained her affair with Bill Clinton was consensual. No reasonable prosecutor would ever have brought that charge.

[former9thward]

24. Believe it or not Bar presidents do things for political reasons just like other people.

Everyone recognizes that. But don't believe me. Just watch what happens -- or doesn't happen --- with the complaint.

[SunSeeker]

29. For once I agree with you. The state bar's decision to disbar Bill Clinton was TOTALLY political.

[Eugene]

7. Yes, lawyers can face discipline for this kind of conduct.

Not a lawyer, but two concerns I've noticed:

1. Lawyers get more latitude in politically charged cases.
2. Discipline tends to rely on precedent, and Giuliani's and Powell's conduct are completely off the charts.

[SunSeeker]

17. Bill Clinton did not get any latitude when he was disbarred over lying about an affair. nt

[former9thward]

22. He did not receive jail time.

Jail time is always a potential penalty for perjury. So yes, he did receive latitude -- as he should have.

[SunSeeker]

27. OMFG, you seriously think lying about having an affair warrants jail time???!!!

Give me a fucking break. He did not receive any fucking latitude. It was an investigation about the Whitewater land deal. Starr could find no wrongdoing so he went after an immaterial lie about an irrelevant private matter. It should not have even counted as perjury since it was immaterial to the investigation. It wasn't even material to the Paula Jones sexual harassment case. Lewinsky always maintained the affair was consensual. No reasonable prosecutor would ever have brought that charge.

You are dead wrong.

[former9thward]

30. You may not know what the perjury law is and its penalty.

Look it up.

[SunSeeker]

34. You definitely don't know perjury law. It has to be a "material" fact.

You're the one who needs to "look it up." Start with 18 U.S. Code § 1621, which defines perjury as "an oath before a competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any case in which a law of the United States authorizes an oath to be administered, that he will testify, declare, depose, or certify truly, or that any written testimony, declaration, deposition, or certificate by him subscribed, is true, willfully and contrary to such oath states or subscribes any material matter which he does not believe to be true" [emphasis mine].

As any Google search of perjury law will teach you:

Only a “material” statement can be perjury. The false statement must be capable of influencing the proceeding – that is, it must have a relationship to the subject of the proceeding. This includes a false statement that would tend to mislead or hamper an investigation. This means that a lie, even under oath, about a subject that is not material to the proceeding is not perjury. For example, falsely bragging that “I never update my Facebook page at work,” while testifying in a case having nothing to do with social networking at work, would not be a likely candidate for a perjury charge.

https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/crime-penalties/federal/perjury.htm

But no, you gotta bash Bill Clinton, claiming he could have been jailed. Unfuckingbelievable.

[SunSeeker]

20. Yes. Bill clinton was disbarred for a LOT less egregious conduct.

Bill Clinton just lied about an affair. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/02/duncancampbell

These idiots used their law licenses to bring multiple frivolous "voter fraud" lawsuits, perpetrating their own fraud upon the courts of this country by claiming, falsely and without evidence, that there was widespread voter fraud in this country in the 2020 presidential election. And they did this not for purposes of hiding a private sexual affair, but in order to subvert our democracy and disenfranchise 20 million American voters, disproportionately people of color.

[soothsayer]

2. Excellent start

[Ohiogal]

3. Are any other state bars doing this?

[spanone]

5. K&R...

[Captain Zero]

8. I filed a complaint with the Indiana AG about

HIM, the Indiana AG, filing Amicus Brief with Supremes about the Texas Suit. I complained mightily.

Their form letter back said after review by their lawyers at the AG office they had determined my complaint about the AG was not in their jurisdiction.

Haha. Well. At least I made them read it and reply.

[spanone]

9. Good Job

👍👍👍

[Thekaspervote]

6. Good! I hope they suffer some consequences their childish behavior

[question everything]

10. And then there is TX AG who is being investigating by the FBI

and may be counting on a pardon.

[TomDaisy]

12. I imagine sanction in any state must be reported in every state where

a lawyer is licensed. It goes on their record. It will not just be ignored. It's probably equally as bad as being sanctioned in your own state.

[SunSeeker]

14. They should all be disbarred.

They used their law license to perpetrate a fraud upon the court in order to destroy America’s democracy.

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. Excellent!

There should be a mega-storm of blowback from coast-to-coast.

[patphil]

18. Every lawyer who worked on these bullshit law suits needs to be taken to task for their efforts.

It's the only way to deter this kind of stuff happening in future elections.
Disbarment and fines should be the order of the day.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. I'd like to file a complaint that they are not behind bars.

BTW:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dufor2020runoff

A few questions: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520874

and answers: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14520972

[Cha]

23. Rt.. TY for the Good News, Goth!

[Vivienne235729]

26. GOOD!!! This makes me feel better about the legal system. Even if

Nothing happens to these asshole trump lawyers, it will reflect it in their records forever. They need to be disbarred.

[malaise]

31. Disbar them

Rec

[Gothmog]

35. Nessel to seek sanctions against some lawyers challenging Michigan's election results

This will be fun to watch. Sidney Powell will be sanctioned https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/12/22/nessel-seek-sanctions-against-lawyers-challenging-election-results/4009929001/

Attorney General Dana Nessel said she plans to seek sanctions against lawyers who filed lawsuits against the state's election results that contained "intentional misrepresentations" regarding Michigan's elections.

The Democratic attorney general also plans to pursue court costs and fees and, along with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, to file complaints with the attorney grievance commission, Nessel told reporters Tuesday.

"Some of these cases where we know for a fact there were intentional misrepresentations made — the kind of misrepresentation that there is no question of fact that these were inaccurate statements that were presented to the court — yes, myself and also Secretary Benson, will be filing complaints to the attorney grievance commission," Nessel said.

[Gothmog]

36. Michigan will go after Sidney Powell's misconduct -- and have her disbarred: State AG

Link to tweet