WEST PALM BEACH—In a new documentary, constitutional scholar John Eastman argues that in recent years, the United States has seen the rise of a “two-tiered justice system” in which the legal system has unfairly targeted lawyers representing conservative clients.
In the new film “The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice,” he argues that lawyers who defended President Donald Trump and other conservative figures after the 2020 election faced harsh penalties for questioning election integrity—penalties he believes would not be applied if those on the left made similar claims.
Eastman, a former law professor, gained national attention for advising Trump on constitutional challenges to election procedures in several key battleground states following the 2020 presidential election. He has faced both disbarment and criminal charges related to his role.
The documentary, which will premiere on Jan. 4 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, aims to shed light on the problems he and other lawyers have faced.
Alongside Eastman, the movie also features Alan Dershowitz, a retired Harvard Law professor, and Jeffrey Clark, a senior Justice Department official in the Trump administration.
“For the last three years, everybody that was involved in raising the serious challenge to illegality in the 2020 election has been targeted for lawfare, criminal prosecutions, and bar disbarment proceedings,” Eastman told The Epoch Times.
He posits that the goal of these efforts has been not only to get lawyers disbarred but also send a message so that no one will dare take on such challenges in the future.
“The purpose of the movie is to expose that lawfare, but also to put together a brief summary of the evidence of illegality that occurred in the 2020 election, so people can know that we weren’t making this stuff up,” Eastman said.
He calls these actions against him and other lawyers “unjustified and unprecedented.”
“I'd like Americans to understand that what we did was in defense of the Constitution,” Eastman said. “I want people to learn about it and to come away angry, so that it never happens again.”
In 2020, he was invited to join an election integrity working group organized at Trump’s request. The group was formed in anticipation of post-election litigation related to the presidential race. On Dec. 6, 2020, Eastman received a formal engagement letter for legal services defining the scope of the agreement.
Eastman is facing criminal charges in both Georgia and Arizona related to his alleged role in efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Following 35 days of trial, a California state bar court judge found in March 2024 that “Eastman’s wrongdoing constitutes exceptionally serious ethical violations warranting severe professional discipline” and recommended his disbarment.
Judge Yvette Roland ruled that Eastman, who had held his California law license for more than 26 years, broke ethics rules by advancing Trump’s challenges to the integrity of the 2020 election.
“His lack of insight into the wrongfulness of his misconduct is deeply troubling,” she wrote.
Eastman has also been allegedly de-banked by Bank of America and USAA.
Bank of America spokesperson Bill Halldin denied the claims of alleged de-banking.
“Due to privacy rules, we don’t comment on client accounts. However, I can say that political views are not a factor in any account closing,” Halldin told The Epoch Times in an email on Jan.3.
USAA did not respond to the request for comment by the time of publication.
Eastman once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
He is a former dean of Chapman University Law School and a visiting professor at the University of Colorado. He also had to sever ties with both institutions in January 2021.
“They both canceled me in the same week,” Eastman said. “I’ve been disinvited from conferences and removed from publications.”
Despite the challenges of the past three years, Eastman says he has never doubted that it was worth it. Though he still spends nearly all his time defending himself, he remains hopeful that 2025 will bring an end to his struggles.
“I very much look forward to having this stuff past me so I don’t have to devote nearly full time to defending myself.”
“The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice” will be released on Jan. 6. Between 400 and 500 guests are expected to attend the film premiere event at Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 4.
