'Flagrant dishonesty': Appeals panel demands notorious lawyer be disbarred for Trump plot

Attorney Jeffrey Clark, a former Department of Justice official who engaged in a plot to keep U.S. President Donald Trump illegally in power more than five years ago, may not be an attorney much longer.

Politicoreported on Thursday that the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility has recommended that Clark be disbarred for his role in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

In its report, the panel cited Clark's actions in December 2020 and January 2021 in which he drafted a letter to be signed by top DOJ officials falsely stating that the department had "identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the State of Georgia."

After top DOJ officials at the time informed Clark that they had not found any significant evidence of fraud that would have affected the outcome of the 2020 election, he lobbied Trump to fire them and put him in charge as acting attorney general. Trump considered this plan but then backed off of it when he was told that it would lead to mass resignations at the DOJ and the White House Counsel.

Regardless, wrote the panel, Clark continued to press Trump to pull the trigger and told him, "History is calling, we can do this, we can get it done, just put me in charge, I'll get it done."

The panel finished its report by writing that "considering all of the facts proven... we conclude that [Clark] should be disbarred because he attempted to engage in flagrant dishonesty."

The board's recommendation is not the final say in Clark's disbarment; his case now moves to the D.C. Court of Appeals, which will make the ultimate decision. However, Clark is for now temporarily suspended from practicing law unless he can convince the court to intervene.

Politico noted that Clark remained defiant in the wake of the ruling and said "the fight continues" in a post on social media platform X.

Regardless, New York University Law professor Ryan Goodman argued that Clark being disbarred could send a strong signal to future Trump lawyers who may be tempted to help him carry out illegal schemes.

"Big picture: Significant implications for U.S. government attorneys who risk their bar licenses by engaging in clearly illegal and unethical conduct," he wrote.