In Upcoming Film, Ex-Trump Attorney Explores Challenges Faced by Conservative Lawyers

WEST PALM BEACH—In this new documentary, constitutional scholar John Eastman contends that the United States has recently witnessed the emergence of a “two-tiered justice system,” wherein the legal establishment has disproportionately targeted attorneys who represent conservative clients.

In “The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice,” he asserts that attorneys defending President Donald Trump and other conservative figures post-2020 election have faced severe consequences for questioning election integrity—consequences that he believes would not have been applied had those on the left made analogous claims.

Eastman, a former law professor, gained widespread attention by advising Trump on constitutional disputes regarding election procedures in crucial battleground states after the 2020 presidential election. He is currently facing both disbarment and criminal charges tied to his involvement.

The documentary, premiering on January 4 at Mar-a-Lago, seeks to illuminate the challenges he and other lawyers have encountered.

Accompanying Eastman are Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law professor, and Jeffrey Clark, a senior Justice Department official from the Trump administration.

“For the last three years, anyone who engaged in raising serious issues regarding the illegality of the 2020 election has been targeted with lawfare, criminal prosecutions, and attempts at disbarment,” Eastman expressed in an interview with The Epoch Times.

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He claims that the aim of these actions has been not just to disbar lawyers but to send a warning that daunts anyone from pursuing similar challenges in the future.

“The purpose of the film is to reveal that lawfare, and also to compile a concise summary of the evidence of illegality during the 2020 election, so that the public understands we weren’t fabricating these claims,” Eastman stated.

He describes the actions against him and other attorneys as “unjustified and unprecedented.”

“I hope Americans grasp that our actions were in defense of the Constitution,” Eastman reflected. “I aim for people to be informed and to walk away with a sense of indignation, ensuring such occurrences are never repeated.”

In 2020, he was invited to join an election integrity task force organized at Trump’s request, in preparation for anticipated post-election litigations. On December 6, 2020, Eastman received a formal letter of engagement detailing the agreed scope of legal services.

Currently, Eastman faces criminal charges in both Georgia and Arizona regarding his alleged involvement in efforts to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election.

After a 35-day trial, a California state bar court judge determined in March 2024 that “Eastman’s misconduct involves exceptionally serious ethical breaches necessitating severe professional discipline” and has recommended his disbarment.

Judge Yvette Roland concluded that Eastman, who had held his California law license for over 26 years, violated ethical standards by promoting Trump’s challenges to the integrity of the 2020 election.

“His lack of insight into the wrongfulness of his actions is profoundly alarming,” she noted.

Eastman has also reportedly experienced account closures by Bank of America and USAA.

Bank of America representative Bill Halldin dismissed the allegations of de-banking.

“Due to privacy regulations, we do not comment on individual accounts. However, I assure you that political beliefs do not influence account closures,” Halldin stated in an email to The Epoch Times on January 3.

USAA had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Eastman previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

He is a former dean of Chapman University Law School and has taught at the University of Colorado, but he severed connections with both institutions in January 2021.

“Both institutions canceled my affiliations in the same week,” Eastman recounted. “I have faced disinvitations from conferences and retraction from publications.”

Despite the difficulties over the past three years, Eastman asserts that he has never wavered in his conviction that it was worthwhile. Although he continues to devote nearly all his time to his defense, he remains optimistic that 2025 will signal an end to his challenges.

“I eagerly anticipate moving past this so that I no longer have to allocate nearly all my time to my defense.”

“The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice” will be released on January 6, with around 400 to 500 guests expected to attend the film’s premiere at Mar-a-Lago on January 4.

Brad Jones contributed to this report.