EXCLUSIVE — A House Republican is pressing the American Bar Association to take “stringent action” against a group seeking to disbar lawyers who worked on former President Donald Trump‘s lawsuits to overturn the results of the 2020 election in multiple states.
In a letter sent to the ABA on Wednesday, Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) urged the bar association to discipline the 65 Project, a dark-money organization with ties to the Democratic Party seeking to discredit lawyers who helped push Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. As part of his plea, Gooden demanded the association disregard the group’s attempts to disbar lawyers who took part in any of the 65 lawsuits challenging President Joe Biden’s victory.
“Any current or future member of the Bar or a trained legal professional that assists, partakes, supports, or is involved in any capacity in unwarranted political targeting of fellow Bar members must face strict disciplinary action,” Gooden wrote in the letter that was obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner. “Stringent action is needed to restore balance, professionalism, and impartiality to the legal field. This is a pivotal moment to realign the legal profession within ethical moorings, free from political bias.”
Rep. Gooden letter to ABA re: Project 65 by Cami Mondeaux on Scribd
The 65 Project was created in 2022 to target lawyers who worked on post-election lawsuits, seeking to disbar 111 lawyers across 26 states. Among those targeted by the group include Trump’s legal advisers, such as Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, and attorneys general who pushed to overturn their states’ certifications of the 2020 election.
The group describes itself as bipartisan, prompting criticism from Republicans, such as Gooden, who lament that the group is advised solely by Democrats and Democratic allies. Gooden also criticized the group for failing to target any Democratic-aligned attorneys who have challenged election laws or results in the past, specifically naming Marc Elias, who sought to challenge Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’s (R-IA) win in 2020.
“Though the 65 Project claims to ‘uphold election integrity,’ they have remained willfully ignorant of any Democratic-aligned attorneys who have challenged election laws or results in the past, which warrants disbarment according to their own standards,” Gooden said. “The 65 Project did not even attempt to inquire into Marc Elias’ actions, yet it continues to aggressively pursue lawyers affiliated with the Trump administration over similar election integrity lawsuits.”
Gooden demanded that the ABA work with him to discipline the group, arguing that lawyers should not be targeted based on their political affiliation.
“Lawyers must be free to engage in good faith legal representation without fear of disbarment, civil or criminal suit, or partisan retribution,” he wrote. “The cornerstone of our justice system is the principle that every person, cause, or claim deserves fair representation in the courts, free from the influence of political bias and mob rule.”
The 65 Project brushed off threats from Gooden, pointing to one instance in which one of the targeted post-election lawyers pleaded guilty to the group’s complaint that “he violated the rules of professional conduct by lying to courts about fraud in the 2020 election.” The Arizona State Bar sided with the complaint, ruling that attorney Alexander Kolodin must be disciplined for his efforts to challenge the state’s 2020 election results.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The importance of this outcome cannot be overstated,” group leaders said in a statement. “For the first time, we see a state bar holding accountable a lawyer who flew under the radar but still sought to overturn our fair and free election. Mr. Kolodin does not have the name recognition of Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, or John Eastman, but that makes the fact that he’s being disciplined even more monumental. It should serve as a warning to any lawyer who would consider abusing the legal system and violating their professional oath to subvert democracy.”
It is not yet clear whether the ABA will take action against the group. However, a spokesperson for the association told the Washington Examiner that it does not have a role in taking disciplinary action against individuals, noting instead that it is left to state entities. Because of that, Gooden also sent the letter to every state bar association in the country, according to his office.
