Infamous MAGA lawyer gets license yanked in New York

Kenneth Chesebro, an infamous legal ally of former President Donald Trump, has had his license to practice in New York suspended, Law & Crime reported on Thursday.

Chesebro was the architect of a secret memo that outlined the illegal "fake elector" scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He was charged in the Georgia election racketeering case and took a plea deal, alongside some of the other lawyers who helped Trump.

The rest of the case is currently tied up while Georgia courts review an ethics complaint against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

In announcing their decision, the Third Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court "pointed out on Thursday that Chesebro’s ability to practice law has been impacted in several states, for instance by receiving a temporary suspension in Massachusetts several months ago," according to the report.

One footnote in the decision said, “The Attorney Grievance Committee for the Third Judicial Department advises that, as of March 2024, respondent was temporarily suspended by the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County in Massachusetts. Moreover, respondent is listed as not eligible to practice law in California; inactive and not eligible to practice law in Florida; and voluntarily inactive in Illinois.”

Other attorneys who collaborate with Trump and took deals in the Georgia case include Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell. Rudy Giuliani was also charged, but has not taken a deal.

Chesebro argued to the New York judges that he should not lose his license because, as part of his deal, the charges against him could be wiped away if he completes the terms of his probation — but the court didn't buy it.

“While the state of Georgia may defer its own proceedings against respondent and may treat him, upon successful completion of his term of probation, as never having been convicted of a crime, our review of the record reveals that a judgment of conviction has in fact been rendered by the Georgia courts,” said the ruling.

“In our view, it is of no moment that respondent may ultimately be ‘exonerated’ under Georgia law, as it equally as plausible that he may violate the terms of his probation and be subjected to additional criminal penalties as a result.”

Georgia is not the only state where Chesebro was hit with criminal charges; he was also indicted in Wisconsin earlier this year.