Don’t Contempt Me
Plus: Supporting democracy means supporting women. 🗳️
Published May 3, 2024
This Week in Democracy
- The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money trial held him in contempt of court following a series of public comments that attacked witnesses and jurors. The judge threatened Trump with jail time if he keeps it up.
- John Eastman, an architect of the plot to steal the 2020 election, lost a bid to reactivate his law license in California. In denying the request, the judge cited the “increased likelihood of future misconduct due to his refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing.” ➡️ READ: Our statement on Eastman’s recommended disbarment
- Local election officials have taken critical steps since 2020 to improve physical safety and security for both staff and election processes, the Brennan Center for Justice found in a survey. Roughly 4 in 10 election officials in the survey reported receiving threats, harassment, or abuse.
- Trump declined to commit to accepting the outcome of the 2024 election. He also declined to rule out violence if he loses, and said he would consider pardoning everyone convicted of crimes for their roles in the Jan. 6 attack.
State of the States
In Colorado, a federal judge ordered John Eastman to explain why he shouldn’t be removed as an attorney on a civil case, in light of the California Bar Court’s recommendation that he be disbarred for his role in the plot to overturn the 2020 election. Colorado’s federal court rules require lawyers who practice there to be in good standing in all the courts where they are admitted.
In the District of Columbia, lawyers for the D.C. Bar wrote that disbarment is “the only appropriate sanction” for Jeffrey Clark, the former Justice Department official accused of helping former President Trump try to overturn the 2020 election. Clark drafted a letter to Georgia state officials falsely asserting that the Justice Department had “significant concerns” about the integrity and outcome of the state’s election. A disciplinary panel has ruled that Clark violated at least one ethics rule.
➡️ READ: Backgrounder: Jeffrey Clark’s disciplinary trial
Recommended Reading
For Pivotal Ventures, States United CEO Joanna Lydgate writes that supporting free and fair elections means supporting women.