Texas Bar Files Disciplinary Lawsuit Against Former Trump Lawyer Sidney Powell
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The Texas Bar's disciplinary committee has filed a petition against former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, alleging that she committed professional misconduct in lawsuits contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The Commission for Lawyer Discipline, a "standing committee of the State Bar of Texas and serves as the client in the Texas attorney discipline system," filed the complaints against Powell in a Dallas court on Mar. 1. In accordance with the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, the case will be assigned to a judge whose district does not include Dallas County.
According to the suit, Powell filed multiple lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions, including in battleground states Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, alleging that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent when "she had no reasonable basis to believe the lawsuits she filed were not frivolous."
The suit alleges that Powell's conduct during the lawsuits "unreasonably increased the costs or other burdens of the cases and unreasonably delayed the resolution of the matters." Allegedly, Powell presented to a Georgia court a certificate from the Georgia Secretary of State that had been altered to remove the date and claimed it was undated.
Powell also failed to dismiss a lawsuit in Michigan after her requested relief was deemed moot, which the suit notes she was sanctioned for by the Eastern District of Michigan.
Based on these events, the suit said, Powell violated Texas rules against frivolous lawsuits, delaying or increasing the costs of a case, making false statements to a court, using evidence known to be false, and engaging in conduct "involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation."
The suit asks that a judgment of professional misconduct be issued against Powell, that she be ordered to pay attorney's fees, court costs, and other expenses associated with the cases, and that she provide any other relief the court determines she is responsible for.
Last month, Powell filed a lawsuit against Verizon to stop what she said is the unlawful release of protected data to the Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Powell was also sued by Dominion Voting Systems last year for falsely claiming the company changed votes in the 2020 election.