The California Supreme Court has disbarred attorney John Eastman, a key figure in former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. The court's order, issued on Wednesday, April 16, 2026, upholds the recommendation of the State Bar Court of California, which found Eastman culpable of multiple ethical violations.
The State Bar Court concluded that Eastman engaged in conduct involving dishonesty and moral turpitude by making false and misleading statements regarding election fraud. His actions included devising and promoting a legal strategy, the so-called "Eastman Memo," which argued that then-Vice President Mike Pence could reject electoral votes from certain states during the certification on January 6, 2021.
In its 128-page decision, the court found Eastman violated his ethical duties as an attorney by pursuing a strategy to obstruct the certification of the election. The disbarment is effective three days after the Wednesday order. Eastman, a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas and a one-time dean of Chapman University's law school, had already been placed on involuntary inactive enrollment in March 2023.
This disciplinary action is separate from ongoing criminal proceedings. Eastman was indicted in August 2023 in Georgia, alongside former President Trump and others, on charges related to attempts to overturn the state's 2020 election results. He has pleaded not guilty.
