CNN By Kaanita Iyer, Katelyn Polantz 5/14/2026
Justice Department sues DC’s attorney disciplinary authorities for recommending a Trump ally be disbarred The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Washington, DC’s attorney disciplinary authorities following their recommendation to disbar Jeffrey Clark, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, over his efforts to “cast doubt” on the 2020 election results in support of the president.
The lawsuit against DC’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel, Board on Professional Responsibility, Court of Appeals, related authorities and the city itself argues that Clark — who in 2020 was an assistant attorney general — should not be disciplined over “internal Executive Branch deliberations.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit comes as the Trump administration has taken a renewed interest in the 2020 election, narrowing in on Georgia — where Trump has claimed the election was rigged. For example, the Justice Department has subpoenaed Fulton County — home of Atlanta — for 2020 election workers’ personal information.
In its July 2025 recommendation to disbar Clark, the DC Board on Professional Responsibility wrote that after the 2020 election, he “urged Justice Department leadership to issue a letter he had drafted that cast doubt on the election results” despite being told by department leadership his theory was not correct.
The letter Clark wrote, but never sent, urged the Georgia state legislature to investigate election “irregularities” and, if necessary, appoint electors themselves that go against the results of the popular vote. The letter was meant to be a “proof of concept” that would eventually be sent to several states.
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https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/14/politics/doj-sues-dc-disciplinary-board
