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New Jersey Congressman Tries To Get Rudy Giuliani Disbarred Over ‘Frivolous’ Election Lawsuits

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A New Jersey Congressman is seeking to have Rudolph Giuliani disbarred over what he says are “frivolous” lawsuits filed over the presidential election, according to the Washington Post.

Democratic New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. filed complaints against Giuliani and 22 other attorneys who were working with President Donald Trump’s campaign Friday, the Washington Post reported. Pascrell filed complaints against the lawyers in 5 states, claiming that they engaged in “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation” and seeking to have them disbarred. (RELATED: Trump Campaign Sues Pennsylvania In Hopes State Will Just Declare Him Winner)

“Donald Trump has done great damage to this nation — but he has always had helpers,” a spokesperson for Pascrell told the Washington Post Monday. “These lawyers are enabling his treachery and harming our democracy.”

He called the Trump campaign’s lawsuits “misconduct and an affront to the rule of law.”

Pascrell filed complaints with regulatory and disciplinary boards of the state bar associations in the states of Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and New York – Giuliani’s home state.

Disbarment, which in many states prevents a lawyer from ever practicing law in the state again, is reserved for only the worst misconduct, and it is rarely used as a punishment. The American Bar Association’s Survey on Lawyer Discipline estimated that in 2018, only 378 lawyers were involuntarily disbarred, according to the Post. There were around 1.3 million active and licensed lawyers at that time.

“Failure to hold Giuliani and his crew accountable by revoking their licenses will only invite further abuses by bad actors and push America closer to lawlessness and authoritarianism,” Pascrell said.

Scott Cummings, a professor at the UCLA School of Law, told the Post that Giuliani’s actions don’t seem to have consequences, which “erodes trust in the system.” Although it’s unlikely that Giuliani will be disbarred, Pascrell’s complaints may prompt a lesser form of discipline, which could be a written reprimand, corrective coursework, fines, or a temporary suspension, Cummings said. (RELATED: ‘Enough To Overturn Any Election’ — Trump Campaign Holds Press Conference Laying Out Their Evidence Of Voter Fraud)

“As a lawyer, you have to demonstrate conduct that shows honesty,” Cummings told the Post. “If you dig into ethics rules about what it means to be a lawyer, it means ultimately standing up for and promoting the rule of law as a core democratic value.”