LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The California Supreme Court on Wednesday disbarred attorney John Charles Eastman after finding him culpable on 10 of 11 charges involving egregious and deceitful conduct tied to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, marking a significant moment of legal accountability, according to the State Bar of California.
The disbarment followed a lengthy disciplinary process in which the State Bar Court Review Department, in July 2025, affirmed the findings of the State Bar Court Hearing Department’s March 2024 recommendation, the State Bar of California reported.
Both departments found Eastman culpable of serious ethical violations for advancing false claims about the 2020 presidential election to mislead courts, public officials and the American public, according to the State Bar of California.
“Today’s California Supreme Court order disbarring John Charles Eastman from the practice of law in California affirms the fundamental principle that attorneys must act with honesty and uphold the rule of law, regardless of the client they represent or the context in which that representation occurs,” State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said.
“The Court’s order underscores that Mr. Eastman’s misconduct was incompatible with the standards of integrity required of every California attorney,” Cardona added, according to the State Bar of California.
The ethics charges against Eastman stem from his central role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, according to the State Bar of California’s prior reporting on the case.
The State Bar’s July 2025 Review Department decision noted that Eastman “engaged in a calculated campaign to falsely undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election, which then-candidate Donald Trump lost,” and that he “lied to courts, Vice President Michael Pence, and the American people,” according to the State Bar of California.
Eastman’s conduct included filing frivolous legal claims, making false statements and advancing a legal theory with no factual or legal basis to pressure then-Vice President Pence to reject certified electoral votes, according to the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan legal accountability organization that filed the initial bar complaint against Eastman in 2021.
Gillian Feiner, Rule of Law Program Director at the States United Democracy Center, said Eastman “fueled the anger of the crowd that attacked the Capitol on January 6 by intentionally, falsely claiming that voting machines manipulated the election results.”
“This decision is an important step toward meaningful accountability for John Eastman, and a critical reminder to all lawyers that they need to uphold their ethical obligations,” Feiner said, according to the States United Democracy Center.
“As we witness this administration attempt to normalize attacks on our legal and democratic norms, this decision affirms that no one is above the law,” Feiner added.
The disciplinary process began after a bipartisan group of attorneys — including former federal judges and former California Supreme Court justices — filed a complaint with the State Bar of California in October 2021, according to the States United Democracy Center.
The complaint provided evidence that Eastman violated his obligations as an attorney by engaging in deceptive conduct during the attempt to keep Donald Trump in power following his 2020 election loss, the States United Democracy Center reported.
The case culminated in an 11-count disciplinary proceeding and a 35-day trial before the State Bar Court in 2023, according to the States United Democracy Center.
Eastman had been on involuntary inactive status and barred from practicing law in California since March 2024, when the Hearing Department first issued its disbarment recommendation, the State Bar of California noted.
Wednesday’s California Supreme Court order makes the disbarment final and permanent, according to the State Bar of California.
The State Bar of California said attorney discipline matters are investigated and prosecuted by its Office of Chief Trial Counsel on behalf of the public, while the State Bar Court oversees disciplinary proceedings before any recommendation is transmitted to the California Supreme Court for final determination.
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