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Explainer: Can Trump's lawyers be disciplined for making false claims?
Reuters ^ | November 25, 2020 | By Jan Wolfe

Posted on 11/25/2020 3:34:47 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

In the weeks since U.S. President Donald Trump lost the election, his lead lawyer Rudy Giuliani has repeatedly made baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and the campaign brought a flurry of lawsuits challenging the results, many of which were dismissed.

Representative Bill Pascrell, a Democrat, on Friday called for Giuliani and other members of the legal team to be stripped of their law licenses for bringing “frivolous” lawsuits and allegedly attempting to help Republican Trump steal the Nov. 3 vote from President-elect Joe Biden.

But legal ethics experts say attorney discipline is relatively rare, especially in politically charged disputes.

Here’s why Trump’s lawyers are very unlikely to face disbarment, suspension, or even lighter sanctions such as a fine.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have legal ethics rules for lawyers that are derived from standards published by the American Bar Association.

One ABA rule says that lawyers should only assert a claim in court if “there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous.”

Rules governing attorney conduct apply both inside and out of the courtroom.

“Lawyers definitely have a lot more leeway in press conferences, but they still cannot engage in deceit in their statements,” said Keith Swisher, an ethics law professor at the University of Arizona.

On Twitter and in media appearances, Giuliani and attorney Sidney Powell appeared to have run afoul of rules barring them from making dishonest statements, said Brian Faughnan, a lawyer and ethics specialist in Tennessee.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bias; election2020; journalism; media
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To: PubliusMM

heck, I didn’t get past the article title / source


21 posted on 11/25/2020 4:28:23 AM PST by Jaysin (Trump can’t be beat, if the Democrats don’t cheat)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

When they discipline Andrew Weissmann and Marc Elias first.


22 posted on 11/25/2020 4:29:18 AM PST by sauropod (Let them eat kale. I will not comply. Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis. This is how Democracy dies.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Not is this ripe,after 4 years of democrat crap against Trump,the freaking democrat party should be abolished for their statements and actions


23 posted on 11/25/2020 4:33:57 AM PST by ballplayer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Never happened to Gores law teams in Florida so why now?


24 posted on 11/25/2020 4:33:59 AM PST by jughandle (Big words anger me, keep talking. )
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To: IgnorerOfLiberals

Showing affidavits of actual proof of fraud is legal. How is he making false claims.


25 posted on 11/25/2020 4:53:33 AM PST by glimmerman70
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

26 posted on 11/25/2020 5:01:00 AM PST by tinyowl (A is A)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Ask them same question in reverse. Did any of the left get disciplined for charging Trump with false crimes for the last 4 years?


27 posted on 11/25/2020 5:12:37 AM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Can the media be disciplined for making false reports?


28 posted on 11/25/2020 5:19:47 AM PST by redfreedom
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

What false claims?


29 posted on 11/25/2020 5:53:48 AM PST by cuban leaf (The political war playing out in every country now: Globalists vs Nationalists)
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To: Russ

Indeed Reuters took the Russia bait hook line and sinker.


30 posted on 11/25/2020 8:33:07 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: glimmerman70

You might be missing my point. In order to discipline them for making false claim, they have to prove it. If they investigate what they claim is false and find out everything Trump lawyers says is true, what happens then?


31 posted on 11/25/2020 12:43:11 PM PST by IgnorerOfLiberals
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To: IgnorerOfLiberals

I am sorry I read your post backwards. If they investigate Rudys claims they think are false and find they are true then it’s likely “my bad” and nothing happens. Like they accused Trump on collision and there was nothing there and no one gets in trouble.


32 posted on 11/25/2020 1:03:40 PM PST by glimmerman70
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To: PubliusMM

Yup.🙄


33 posted on 11/25/2020 2:06:49 PM PST by BiteYourSelf ( Earth first we'll strip mine the other planets later.)
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