Trump 'coup memo' lawyer under investigation by California State Bar: report

On Tuesday, Forbes reported that John Eastman, the right-wing lawyer and former constitutional law professor who helped draft a memo proposing how to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election for former President Donald Trump, is now under investigation by the state bar of California.

"The bar said Eastman may have breached California law and attorney ethics rules in connection to the election, which Eastman suggested could have been overturned with the intervention of then Vice President Mike Pence," reported Zachary Snowdon Smith. "The investigation began after various people and entities alerted the bar to news reports, court filings and other documents relating to Eastman’s conduct, bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said in a statement Tuesday."

Eastman's plan was to have Republican officials in closely contested states won by President Joe Biden submit "alternate" slates of electors to vote for Trump, which would have allegedly given Pence grounds to claim he couldn't determine which electors were legitimate -- and then throw out the votes for these states.

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Many experts considered this plan illegal, and Pence himself refused to take part in the plan, saying he lacked the constitutional authority to go through with it.

Since the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Eastman's role in the plot has come under increasing scrutiny. The House January 6 Committee has subpoenaed Eastman's testimony on the matter, and he has faced complaints at the state bar which led to the current investigation.