Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.
John Eastman
Dr. John C. Eastman is a lawyer and founder of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence. Eastman worked with the Trump administration after the 2020 presidential election.[1]
He worked as the dean and Donald P. Kennedy Chair in Law at Chapman University School of Law from 2007-2010.[2] In October 2011, Eastman became the chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.[3]
In 2010, Eastman ran for the position of Attorney General of California as a Republican.[4]
Biography
Eastman received a bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas in 1982, where he studied politics and economics. He received a Ph.D. in government from Claremont Graduate University in 1993 and a law degree from University of Chicago in 1982.[2]
Upon receiving his law degree, Eastman worked as a law clerk for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas on the United States Supreme Court and the Honorable J. Michael Luttig, a judge for the Fourth Circuit United States Court of Appeals.[3] He later joined the national law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, where he focused on complex commercial contract and consumer litigation. In August 1999, Eastman was appointed as a faculty member for the Chapman University School of Law, wherein he specialized in constitutional law, legal history, and property. Also in 1999, Eastman founded the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, where he serves as the director. Seven years later, he was named Interim Associate Dean of Administration before being chosen as Dean in June 2007.[2]
Elections
2010
| 2010 Race for Attorney General - Republican Primary[5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | Steve Cooley | 47.3% | |
| Republican Party | John Eastman | 34.2% | |
| Republican Party | Tom Harman | 18.5% | |
| Total Votes | 1,555,709 | ||
Noteworthy events
Criminal indictment by Georgia grand jury (2023)
On August 15, 2023, John Eastman was one of 19 defendants criminally charged in a grand jury indictment related to interference in the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.[6] Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) filed the indictment in Fulton Superior Court in Georgia, and the case was set to be heard by Judge Scott McAfee.[7]
Eastman was charged with nine criminal counts. Eastman pleaded not guilty.[6][8] Click here for a more detailed list of the charges.
The indictment included a total of 41 criminal counts related to interference in Georgia's 2020 presidential election results against 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump (R), former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, and Georgia State Senator Shawn Still (R), among others.[6]
The indictment followed a special grand jury investigation into whether Trump and his allies attempted to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The grand jury convened in May 2022, and completed its investigation in January 2023.[9]
Ballot description (2010)
In March 2010, Eastman filed suit in Sacramento Superior Court to have his ballot description reinstated. Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) rejected the his title of assistant attorney general, saying it was misleading to voters.[10]
About a week later, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley agreed with Bowen's assessment and rejected the Eastman's second choice, taxpayer advocate/attorney. He ordered that Eastman "be identified instead as a 'constitutional law attorney.'" The case against the former dean's use of the title was joined by former Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley, another candidate for the Republican nomination in the state's attorney general race. A spokesman for his campaign supported the decision, contending that Eastman had tried to use a "blatantly false and misleading ballot designation in an effort to fool the voters."[11]
See also
External links
- Chapman University School of Law - John Eastman's Faculty profile
- The Claremont Institute - John C. Eastman profile (dead link)
- John Eastman for Attorney General Campaign website
- John Eastman's Facebook profile
- John Eastman's Twitter account
Footnotes
- ↑ United States District Court Central District of California, Southern Division, "Plaintiff's Brief in Support of Privilege Assertions," March 9, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 LinkedIn, "John Eastman," accessed June 28, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sacramento Bee, "A new general in marriage war," October 16, 2011
- ↑ Legal Newsline, "Legal scholar says he's ideal to 'fix the mess' left by Jerry Brown" 20 Jan. 2010
- ↑ California Secretary of State - 2010 Statewide Primary Election Results
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Fulton Superior Court, "Indictment," accessed August 15, 2023
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Trump, 18 others indicted for trying to overthrow 2020 Georgia election," August 14, 2023
- ↑ The Atlanta Journal-Contitution, "19 not guilty pleas as Trump Georgia defendants all waive arraignment," September 5, 2023
- ↑ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Trump special grand jury probe in Georgia," accessed August 15, 2023
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Eastman files suit over 'assistant attorney general' title" 26 March, 2010
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Court orders title change for California attorney general candidate" April 2, 2010
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
