“Hey you two, we got to do everything we can do to make sure Trump wins a 3rd Term. Cheating, destroying Voter Ballots is A Okay. We’re gonna make this the most secure election possible.”

The legal and political battles following the 2020 presidential election continue to reshuffle both American politics and the careers of the attorneys who served Donald Trump. As the legal system has worked through the aftermath of the “Stop the Steal” campaign, the professional consequences for several of Trump’s highest-profile lawyers have been severe.

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1. How Many Trump Lawyers Have Been Disbarred?

Several prominent lawyers who championed Donald Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread election fraud have faced severe professional discipline. While many have been criminally indicted, suspended, or sanctioned, three key architects of the post-election strategy have been officially disbarred:

The Guardian

Rudy Giuliani

• Action taken: Disbarred in New York and the District of Columbia. PBS
• The context: Once the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Mayor of New York City, Giuliani served as the primary public mouthpiece and legal lead for Trump’s post-election challenges. Appeals courts stripped him of his license after finding that he “falsely and dishonestly” made countless unsubstantiated claims about dead voters and stolen ballots. PBS

John Eastman

• Action taken: Disbarred in California (with a reciprocal suspension in Washington, D.C.). The Guardian
• The context: A conservative legal scholar and former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Eastman was the intellectual architect of the “fake electors” strategy. He drafted memos arguing that Vice President Mike Pence had the constitutional authority to unilaterally block or delay the certification of electoral votes on January 6, 2021. The California Supreme Court finalized his disbarment in April 2026. The Guardian+ 1

Kenneth Chesebro

• Action taken: Disbarred in New York, Washington, D.C., and Illinois. Democracy Docket
• The context: Chesebro was another key legal strategist behind the multi-state alternate electors plan. After pleading guilty in Georgia to a felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents, New York appellate courts ruled his criminal actions proved he lacked the “integrity and fitness” to practice law, resulting in his formal disbarment in 2025. (Notably, the Florida Supreme Court broke with other states in June 2026, choosing to issue a public reprimand rather than a disbarment). Wikipedia

Other Notable Legal Disciplines:

• Jenna Ellis: Agreed to a three-year suspension of her Colorado law license following her felony guilty plea in Georgia.FOX 5 Atlanta
• Jeffrey Clark: A former high-ranking Justice Department official who aided Trump’s efforts, Clark has faced intense disciplinary proceedings in D.C., with ethics boards recommending his disbarment.The Guardian
• Sidney Powell & L. Lin Wood: Both have faced heavy financial sanctions, criminal indictments, or retired from practice under the threat of disbarment.

2. What Did Todd Blanche Do for Trump?

Unlike the attorneys above who focused on the 2020 post-election challenges, Todd Blanche is a former federal prosecutor who stepped in later to represent Donald Trump in his massive personal and criminal trials.

PBS

Blanche’s defense work was highly valued by Trump, ultimately propelling him into the highest echelons of the federal government.

PBS

Represented Trump in Three Major Criminal Cases

In April 2023, Blanche resigned his partnership at the white-collar defense firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft specifically to take on Trump’s criminal defense. He was the lead trial attorney in:

The Guardian

1. The New York “Hush Money” Trial: Blanche defended Trump against charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. While the trial ultimately ended in Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts, Trump was highly impressed by Blanche’s courtroom stamina, his aggressive cross-examination of key witnesses, and his media-savvy defense of his client on television. The Guardian+ 1
2. The Classified Documents Case: Blanche defended Trump in the federal case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith in Florida regarding the retention of classified files at Mar-a-Lago. The Guardian
3. The Federal Election Obstruction Case: Blanche served as counsel in the federal prosecution regarding Trump’s actions leading up to the January 6 Capitol riot. The Guardian

Transition to the Department of Justice

Trump rewarded Blanche’s absolute defense by bringing him directly into his second administration. Trump appointed Blanche to the Department of Justice, where he has held powerful roles:

PBS

• Deputy Attorney General: Blanche was chosen as the No. 2 official at the DOJ, managing day-to-day operations under Attorney General Pam Bondi. PBS
• Acting Attorney General: Blanche stepped in as the Acting Attorney General. In this capacity, he has been an instrumental force in executing Trump’s executive priorities, which has drawn intense scrutiny from critics who argue he has run the department with the fealty of a personal defense attorney rather than an independent public servant. PBS+ 1