In a Friday decision, federal Judge Rudolph Contreras has denied a request from Jeffrey Clark, a former official in the Justice Department during Trump’s time in office, to formally pause disciplinary proceedings against him under the local court system in D.C. that could result in his suspension from practicing law. Even disbarment is also possible. The proceedings are connected to support that Clark provided for Trump’s attempt to remain president despite his documented loss in 2020.
Clark sought a pause on a remand order while he pursued an appeal. The remand order sent the proceedings back to the local authorities in D.C. ordinarily responsible for such matters involving attorneys who practice in the district. The decision from Contreras notes that Clark’s formal motion to put the earlier remand order on hold didn’t come until over a month after its issuance and weeks after he formally appealed the decision within the federal court system. Contreras concluded that disputed legal precedents actually didn’t mandate that such remand orders be paused while appeals move forward, also finding in a different area of discussion that he no longer had the appropriate jurisdictional power to issue a stay — meaning pause — on that order considering the appeal that Clark had already made, effectively moving the dispute elsewhere.
Contreras concluded that Clark’s interpretations of past Supreme Court findings brazenly misrepresented their substance, saying the former Justice Department lawyer had claimed a mandate for pausing such remand orders in these circumstances where, in actuality, the Justices had simply noted that a remand was possible.
Clark had also raised disputes about the claimed need for a certified copy of the earlier remand order to be sent to the local court system before the proceedings restart, and local authorities in D.C. already agreed to pause their pursuit of the Trump ally until such documentation was received or related action was taken. It appears that Clark may still be able to obtain the halt on these proceedings from a federal appeals court. Clark is also among the 19 defendants criminally charged in Georgia and accused of involvement in a conspiracy to target the state’s election results from 2020. All 19 submitted for processing before the deadline established by the local district attorney for voluntarily surrendering.
