Jeffrey Clark, ex-Trump DOJ official, faces disciplinary charges for election misstatements

Former Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark, a central player in Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, faces disciplinary proceedings from the District of Columbia's chief investigator of attorney misconduct.

Hamilton P. Fox, III, the disciplinary counsel for the District of Columbia Bar, has charged Clark with attempting to engage in dishonest conduct and "conduct that would seriously interfere with the administration of justice," according to a copy of July 19 filing.

Fox said Clark was served Friday morning. Clark's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rachel Semmel, a spokesperson for the conservative Center for Renewing America, where Clark is a senior fellow, said Clark was "one of the only lawyers at the DOJ who had the interests of the American people at heart."

The charges center around a letter Clark drafted that urged officials in Georgia to convene a special session in the state legislature relating to the 2020 election. Clark sought to get deputy attorney general Jeffrey Rosen and colleague Richard Donoghue to sign the letter, according to the filing.

That letter, called a  proof of concept letter, claimed the Department of Justice had "identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the state of Georgia," according to the filing.

In truth, the Justice Department was not aware of any election fraud allegations in Georgia that would have affected the results of the presidential election, the filing said.

Feds search home of Jeffrey Clark, ex-DOJ official at center of Trump's effort to overturn election

After then-Attorney General William Barr resigned from his position, Trump sought to install Clark as acting attorney general, an idea that many Department of Justice employees opposed. At one point, according to the filing, Clark sought in a private meeting to get Donoghue to sign the letter, and in the same meeting offered Donoghue a position as his deputy. Donoghue refused.

An environmental lawyer in the Department of Justice's Civil Division, Clark briefly oversaw the division during the final days of the Trump administration because of a vacancy. Lawmakers on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol say Clark repeatedly attempted to use his position to try to overturn the 2020 election and "interrupt the peaceful transfer of power."

The Jan. 6 committee also aired testimony from three former top Justice officials, including Rosen, about Clark's efforts surrounding the proof of concept letter.

During a recorded video interview with the Jan. 6 committee, Clark declined to answer questions.

Asked about the letter intended for Georgia officials, Clark invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self incrimination.

"Fifth," he said.

In June, federal authorities searched Clark's suburban Virginia home.

Contributing: Kevin Johnson 

Jan. 6 committee subpoenas former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, accused of attempting to overturn 2020 election

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-Trump DOJ lawyer Jeff Clark faces ethics charges for election lies