States United and LDAD, with Bipartisan Support, File Ethics Complaints Against Attorney Kurt Olsen for Election Lies and Frivolous Election Lawsuits

Published July 12, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The States United Democracy Center and Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD) today filed ethics complaints against Kurt Olsen, who has spread election lies while representing Election Deniers, including Kari Lake, in frivolous election lawsuits. The complaints were filed with the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel. They garnered support from more than a dozen legal experts, ethics experts, and former government officials representing both major parties. The group includes numerous lawyers barred in Maryland or D.C., where the complaints were filed.

“Kurt Olsen has abused his law license to spread lies about our elections in the courtroom time and time again, and his pattern of unethical conduct shows he’s not going to stop. Olsen must be held accountable for his professional misconduct, to protect the public, the courts, and our democracy from any further damage he could cause throughout this year’s election and beyond,” said Gillian Feiner, Senior Counsel at the States United Democracy Center.

The ethics complaints call for a swift investigation into Olsen’s misconduct as well as immediate interim discipline due to the risk his ongoing pattern of unethical behavior poses to the public. The groups point to Olsen’s repeated disregard for his obligations as an attorney, including his representation of Election Deniers in multiple frivolous election-related lawsuits based on false and misleading claims. Olsen was involved as an attorney in both Texas v. Pennsylvania and Lake v. Hobbs I and II. The complaints also highlight sanctions and discipline that Olsen already faces in Arizona for related conduct.

These complaints are the latest efforts to seek accountability for attorney misconduct during the plot to overturn the 2020 election. A separate complaint against Stefanie Lambert was recently filed by Lawyers Defending American Democracy in Michigan. Lambert is an attorney who orchestrated voting machine breaches in Pennsylvania and Michigan after the 2020 election.

“Accountability for serious ethical violations by lawyers is essential to the integrity of the legal profession and to the rule of law. The complaints filed today meticulously set forth the relevant facts and the applicable ethical rules violated by Mr. Olsen. The complaints provide a roadmap to guide prompt investigations and the imposition of appropriate sanctions,” noted John Montgomery, an LDAD board member and former managing partner of Ropes & Gray.

“Many of the people who used their law license to threaten our democracy in 2020 have faced consequences—both professionally and criminally. As this next election cycle picks up, accountability efforts for people who have worked to undermine our democracy are still ongoing,” said Christine P. Sun, Senior Vice President of Legal at the States United Democracy Center. “Most recently for Kurt Olsen and Stefanie Lambert. Lawyers swear an oath to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. Those who break that oath should not be able to practice law.”

Key excerpts from the complaints include:

“Olsen’s continuing misconduct must be swiftly addressed. In the absence of professional accountability, Olsen has shown he will continue to engage in acts intended to undermine faith in our legal system and our democracy. The repeated findings by courts that Olsen has (1) asserted patently false statements in multiple election-related lawsuits and (2) engaged in dilatory tactics that waste judicial resources and distract election officials, demonstrate Olsen’s pattern of misconduct. The need to hold him accountable takes on increased urgency as the likelihood that he will continue this pattern is increased in a year with major elections on the horizon.

“Complainants urge the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission to apply for an interim injunction pending final disposition to prohibit Olsen from practicing law, considering the ample evidence that his ongoing professional misconduct poses an immediate threat of substantial harm to the administration of justice, pursuant to MARPC 19-732.19 In a New York disciplinary proceeding against Rudolph Giuliani, the Attorney Grievance Committee sought and obtained an interim suspension of Mr. Giuliani’s law license for misconduct similar to Mr. Olsen’s. …

“For the foregoing reasons, the undersigned respectfully requests that the Attorney Grievance Commission swiftly complete its investigation into Olsen’s conduct and impose appropriate professional discipline to deter further misconduct and protect the public.”

These ethics complaints against Kurt Olsen are the latest action by States United and LDAD to pursue accountability for those who tried to undermine the will of the voters in 2020 and continue to present a threat to our democracy. Read more about States United’s accountability work here and Lawyers Defending American Democracy’s work here. This includes professional discipline efforts against attorneys John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, and Kenneth Chesebro.

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About the States United Democracy Center

The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. We focus on connecting state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. For more information, visit statesuniteddemocracy.org.

About Lawyers Defending American Democracy

Founded in 2019, Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the protection of the Constitution and the rule of law. LDAD regularly authors Calls-to-Action, research reports, amicus briefs, and articles calling for adherence to the rule of law and encouraging fellow lawyers, leaders of bar associations, and the legal academy to join in speaking out against threats to democracy. LDAD has also filed disciplinary complaints against lawyers who have violated their oath to protect the Constitution, for example, Rudolph Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, Kenneth Paxton, John Eastman, and Kenneth Chesebro. LDAD’s work is available at ldad.org.