A Washington, D.C., bar disciplinary panel made a preliminary finding Thursday that former Department of Justice (DOJ) official Jeffrey Clark’s conduct during the 2020 election violated at least one ethics rule, according to multiple reports.
The three-member disciplinary committee’s nonbinding finding comes after days of testimony and could ultimately lead to suspending Clark’s law license, according to Politico. The two charges Clark faced included attempting to engage in conduct involving dishonesty and attempting to engage in conduct that would interfere with the administration of justice, according to the D.C. board of professional responsibility.
The charges relate to a letter Clark drafted to Georgia officials stating the DOJ had “significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election,” though the letter was never sent.
Clark’s attorneys said it would have been “reasonable” to have concerns about the election at the time and argued that punishing him over a letter that was not sent would be an abuse of power, according to Politico.
Sanctions against Clark would need to be approved by the full board, as well as the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Reuters.
The California State Bar Court recommended disbarring former Trump election lawyer John Eastman last week over his conduct relating to the 2020 election.
Both Clark and Eastman are also facing charges in the racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
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