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Can Trump's Retribution Lawyers be Disbarred?
In an era where loyalty and partisanship seem to define politics, one group has been at the forefront of President Donald Trump's retribution efforts – lawyers who have brought high-profile cases against his enemies. The question on everyone's mind is: can these lawyers be held accountable? Can Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan be disbarred for their actions?
While it's possible that state bars could take action, experts say the hurdles are high, and expectations should be tempered. State rules do bind attorneys to a code of conduct, but there isn't an ethics exception for those working in the Trump administration.
In Florida, where Bondi is licensed, a group of lawyers, law professors, and former judges filed an ethics complaint against her earlier this year, alleging that she's used "zealous advocacy" as a pretext to compel DOJ lawyers to violate their ethical obligations. However, the Florida Bar claims it can't investigate her due to its policy on investigating sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while in office.
That leaves open the possibility of disciplinary action after Bondi leaves her current position. For now, any potential repercussions seem unlikely to affect her during her tenure as DOJ head.
Meanwhile, Lindsey Halligan, who's led the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia since being installed by Trump, has secured indictments against high-profile Trump critics James Comey and Letitia James over their objection from career prosecutors. As she's licensed in Florida, we can examine that state's rules to see if she might have violated any.
The question is: did Halligan knowingly bring cases without probable cause? Given the low standard for grand jury proceedings, proving this would be an almost impossible task unless she confesses to it. Another potential issue lies in her failure to disclose key evidence, which could lead to dismissal of charges or even sanctions under Florida's "Brady" obligations.
While we wait and see how these cases unfold, one thing is clear – the line between loyalty and corruption can become very blurred when politics gets involved.
In an era where loyalty and partisanship seem to define politics, one group has been at the forefront of President Donald Trump's retribution efforts – lawyers who have brought high-profile cases against his enemies. The question on everyone's mind is: can these lawyers be held accountable? Can Pam Bondi and Lindsey Halligan be disbarred for their actions?
While it's possible that state bars could take action, experts say the hurdles are high, and expectations should be tempered. State rules do bind attorneys to a code of conduct, but there isn't an ethics exception for those working in the Trump administration.
In Florida, where Bondi is licensed, a group of lawyers, law professors, and former judges filed an ethics complaint against her earlier this year, alleging that she's used "zealous advocacy" as a pretext to compel DOJ lawyers to violate their ethical obligations. However, the Florida Bar claims it can't investigate her due to its policy on investigating sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while in office.
That leaves open the possibility of disciplinary action after Bondi leaves her current position. For now, any potential repercussions seem unlikely to affect her during her tenure as DOJ head.
Meanwhile, Lindsey Halligan, who's led the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia since being installed by Trump, has secured indictments against high-profile Trump critics James Comey and Letitia James over their objection from career prosecutors. As she's licensed in Florida, we can examine that state's rules to see if she might have violated any.
The question is: did Halligan knowingly bring cases without probable cause? Given the low standard for grand jury proceedings, proving this would be an almost impossible task unless she confesses to it. Another potential issue lies in her failure to disclose key evidence, which could lead to dismissal of charges or even sanctions under Florida's "Brady" obligations.
While we wait and see how these cases unfold, one thing is clear – the line between loyalty and corruption can become very blurred when politics gets involved.