Michigan legal watchdog pursues Trump-allied attorneys
A Michigan agency that investigates complaints against lawyers is taking action against nine attorneys who were allied with former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election
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Your support makes all the difference.Nine lawyers who were found to have abused the court system by filing a lawsuit that challenged Michigan's 2020 election results in favor of President Joe Biden committed misconduct and should be disciplined, a watchdog agency said.
The state Attorney Grievance Commission filed a complaint this week against Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and seven other lawyers who were allied with then-President Donald Trump. The complaint now goes to the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board for further consideration.
In 2020, the attorneys supported a lawsuit on behalf of Republican voters that was filed just a few days after Bidenās 154,000-vote victory in Michigan was certified.
The lawsuit sought to decertify those results and have voting machines impounded. U.S. District Judge Linda Parker said the request was āstunning in its scope and breathtaking in its reach.ā
The lawsuit was āfrivolousā and exposed the legal profession to ācontempt,ā the Grievance Commission said in its complaint.
Three of the nine lawyers are licensed in Michigan while Powell, Lin and others are licensed in other states or the District of Columbia. It's unclear what sanctions could be ordered against lawyers who practice outside Michigan.
Woodās name was on the 2020 lawsuit, but he has insisted that the only role he played was telling Powell he was available if she needed a seasoned litigator. Powell defended the lawsuit and insisted that lawyers sometimes have to raise what he called āunpopular issues.ā
After dismissing the case, Parker ordered the nine lawyers to attend 12 hours of legal education, including six hours in election law. She also ordered $175,000 in legal fees to be paid, mostly to the city of Detroit. Those sanctions are being appealed.
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