Justice Department sues DC Bar over alleged weaponization of attorney discipline

The Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the District of Columbia Bar’s disciplinary authorities, alleging that the attorney discipline process has been improperly used to investigate and penalize federal government lawyers for actions taken in their official capacities.

At the center of the dispute is an ongoing disciplinary case involving former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, who faced scrutiny over his role in discussions surrounding the 2020 presidential election and a draft letter concerning allegations of election fraud in Georgia. According to the Justice Department, the letter was never finalized or sent, and the disciplinary proceedings improperly target internal executive branch deliberations.

The lawsuit aligns with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order titled Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government and a related presidential memorandum aimed at limiting what the administration describes as politically motivated uses of legal and regulatory processes.

“As our complaint and history make clear, the DC Bar has long acted as a blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes. No more,” said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who filed the complaint, stated: “President Trump promised to put an end to the weaponization of the legal process, and today’s lawsuit against the D.C. Bar makes good on that promise. 

"The D.C. Bar will no longer be permitted to probe sensitive Executive Branch deliberations and target Executive Branch officials with whom they happen to politically disagree, and Federal attorneys will once again be free to share their candid legal advice with their bosses and colleagues.”

The DOJ argues that the Bar’s actions violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, discriminate against federal attorneys, and chill the ability of executive branch lawyers to provide frank advice—potentially undermining the functioning of the federal government. The complaint is available on the Justice Department’s website.

The filing marks the latest escalation in tensions between the Trump administration and the D.C. Bar over ethics investigations involving current and former officials.