Former Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark, who is accused of violating ethics rules by allegedly helping then-president Donald Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election, attended the first day of his disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. A three-member panel of the D.C. Bar’s Board of Professional Responsibility will determine whether Clark should face sanctions, which could include disbarment.
[NOTE: Other lawyers working in the private sector on the alleged election subversion, including John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani have faced similar disciplinary charges — Giuliani had his law license revoked in New York and Washington, D.C.. Attorneys Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty to criminal charges.]
The Clark hearing is focused on a December 28, 2020 letter in which Clark claimed that the DOJ had “identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election” in Georgia and other states, and suggested that state lawmakers should void President Biden’s electoral win.
Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton “Phil” Fox III, who is leading the attorney discipline case against Clark said, “What Mr. Clark was attempting to do was essentially a coup at the Justice Department.”
Clark’s lawyer, Harry MacDougald, argued at the hearing that Clark “at all times attempted to do the right thing.”
After the first day of the hearing, Clark was approached by Under Current advocacy journalist Lauren Windsor. She asked Clark: “If you were so concerned about election fraud in Georgia, why didn’t you talk to BJ Pak?” (Pak was the U.S. Attorney in Georgia leading the investigation.)
Staked out Trump attorney @JeffClarkUS at his disbarment hearing just now. Love being called shameless by a shameless coup plotter…#TheUndercurrent pic.twitter.com/d9Jqxy2Lgx
— Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) March 26, 2024
Clark didn’t answer the question and asked Windsor to speak to his spokesperson, Rachel Cauley at the Center for Renewing America. (Cauley served as Communications Director at the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration.)
Windsor walked out of the building with Clark and continued to ask questions including “Why didn’t the Trump-appointed leadership at the Department of Justice take action against election fraud if you thought it was so serious?”
Unrelenting, Windsor asked: “Why were you willing to orchestrate a coup for Trump?” And “Are you going to go back to the DOJ if Trump wins?” And “Has he promised you, to make you Attorney General if he wins again in 2024?”
NEW: DOJ atty Jeff Clark tried to oust the acting AG in the final days of the Trump administration, to try to overturn the election. He now faces disbarment.
— Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) March 27, 2024
His defense says he found real voter fraud. We asked Clark why then did the Trump appointed DOJ not act on his claims? pic.twitter.com/pdUDpPMcsy
Clark’s attorney MacDougald asks Windsor: “Have you been promised a Pulitzer Prize for these idiotic questions?”
When Clark asks Windsor, “Who are you?” she replies and Clark recognizes the name. “Oh, you’re Lauren Windsor, who ambushed us outside when we were headed to a lunch.”
Questioning Windsor’s credentials as a journalist he told her, “You’re someone who ambushes people like this.” Windsor replied, “Ambushes people? You’re in a public place outside of your disbarment hearing.”
Before Clark and his team got into a car waiting for them, Windsor asked, “Are you looking forward to getting disbarred?” MacDougald replied, “Are you looking forward to a defamation suit?” That didn’t stop Windsor from asking “What has Trump promised you?”
Entering into the car, Clark told Windsor, “Lauren, you’re shameless.” She replied, “No, you’re shameless.”
Democratic strategist and former DNC National Field Director Adam Parkhomenko applauded Windsor’s relentless pursuit of Clark. He amplified the video on X and wrote: “Major video… It never ceases to amaze me what we still hear on tape all these years later.”
