John Charles Eastman

John Charles Eastman (born April 21, 1960) is an American conservative lawyer and constitutional law scholar who served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He gained national prominence as a key legal architect of efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Eastman authored the controversial "Eastman memos" which proposed that Vice President Mike Pence could reject electoral votes from contested states during the January 6, 2021 certification process. Eastman was dean of Chapman University School of Law from 2007 to 2010. In March 2024, the California State Bar Court recommended Eastman be disbarred for his role in attempting to overturn the election. The California Supreme Court issued an order disbarring Eastman in September 2024. He was also indicted in Georgia in August 2023 and in Arizona in April 2024. In November 2025, President Trump pardoned Eastman.