Afternoon Briefs: Governor seeks Sidney Powell's disbarment; ex-Davis Polk associate avoids sanctions
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Michigan governor seeks disbarment of election lawyers
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking disbarment of Texas lawyer Sidney Powell and three Michigan lawyers for claims made in unsuccessful lawsuits claiming an election fraud conspiracy. Whitmer alleged in a complaint to the State Bar of Texas that Powell “did not just tiptoe near a precarious ethical line—she outright crossed it.” Whitmer was joined in her request by Michigan’s attorney general and secretary of state. (The Detroit Free Press, Law360)
Ex-Davis Polk associate avoids sanctions for new bias claim
The lawyer for a former associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell who sued the firm for alleged racial bias has agreed to withdraw some allegations to avoid a sanctions hearing. An amended complaint will be filed without unsupported allegations that a partner had falsified a performance review. (Law360)
DOJ asks Supreme Court to delay 2 cases involving Trump policies
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay consideration of a challenge to border wall funding and former President Donald Trump’s remain-in-Mexico policy for asylum-seekers. The DOJ said President Joe Biden has paused construction of the border wall and the remain-in-Mexico policy. (Law.com, NPR, the Washington Post)
Lincoln Project irked by Giuliani claim
The Lincoln Project, a group founded by Republicans opposed to former President Donald Trump, is asking lawyer Rudy Giuliani for an apology after he suggested that the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot was partly organized by a person claiming a connection to the Lincoln Project, according to the Huffington Post. “You committed a textbook act of defamation,” the group said in a letter to Giuliani. Refuse to apologize “at your peril,” the letter said. (Law & Crime, Above the Law, the Huffington Post)
