Two Senate Republicans tell Supreme Court to review John Eastman's disbarment over Jan. 6
- Sens. Lee and Cruz file Supreme Court brief defending John Eastman's disbarment as political weaponization.
- They argue that 'unpopular legal arguments' shouldn't cost lawyers their licenses, citing chilling effects on 'zealous advocacy.'
- Eastman, a co-conspirator in Trump's 2020 election plot, faces criminal charges in Georgia and Arizona alongside his California disbarment.
- The senators' brief conveniently ignores the fact that Eastman's 'legal analysis' was rejected by dozens of courts as baseless.
- The move marks a continued GOP effort to reframe an attempted coup as merely a vigorous legal disagreement.
Brief Summary
In a stunning display of intellectual contortionism, Republican Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz have asked the Supreme Court to reinstate the law license of John Eastman, the legal architect of the 'fake electors' scheme. Their argument? That disbarring lawyers for advocating 'unpopular' legal theories will create a chilling effect on zealous advocacy. Apparently, in their world, attempting to overturn a democratic election is just a spicy academic debate. The brief conveniently glosses over the fact that Eastman's 'reasonable judgment' was so reasonable that it led to criminal charges in two states and was rejected by every court that heard it. It's a classic move: when the facts are against you, argue that the process is just too mean to your client. This is less about protecting legal ethics and more about providing political cover for the Big Lie's continued existence.
Why This Matters
This is your nightly reminder that the GOP's strategy for the post-Trump era is to make 'insurrection' a matter of legal opinion. If Lee and Cruz succeed, it won't just be Eastman getting his license back; it'll be a green light for any lawyer to craft 'legal theories' that shred the Constitution, so long as they find a judge willing to nod along. The practical effect on you is that the rule of law becomes a suggestion, and your vote becomes a bargaining chip for the next ambitious hack with a law degree. The message is clear: if you're on the right team, trying to steal an election is just 'zealous advocacy.' If you're not, well, the bar association is waiting.