Larry Klayman, the founder of conservative activist group Judicial Watch, is facing ethics charges in front of the DC Bar that could end with his disbarment, Politico reports.
The complaint alleges that Klayman misrepresented facts, filed meritless legal pleadings and brought frivolous demands for recusal and an ethics complaint against a judge in an attempt to force his way on to the legal team representing Cliven Bundy after the infamous standoff at the Bundy ranch in 2014.
Long known for pulling people into court cases, forcing them into dozens of hours of depositions and obligating them to incur tens of thousands of legal bills, Klayman is now being charged with using his tactics to abuse his position and the Courts.
If found guilty, Klayman could use his license to practice law, although the prosecutor in the case is seeking a one-year suspension and a requirement for Klayman to prove his fitness to return to legal practice.
“She says just a year, a reinstatement provision. I’m 69 years old. You know how long a reinstatement provision takes?” Klayman told the panel. “If the sanction that Ms. Porter is recommending goes into effect, I’ll probably never practice law again.”
Klayman’s called a “who’s who” of republican gadflies to be his witness at the hearing, done via Zoom: Disgraced conservative columnist Armstrong Williams, former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi and two of the Bundys have testified.
Even perennial republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes made an appearance, telling Klayman he would have selected Klayman to be Attorney General had any of his various presidential campaigns been successful.
“You and I have never had an issue when it comes to character, integrity and your honoring your word,” said Williams, who lost his nationally syndicated newspaper column when it was disclosed that he accepted payments from the GW Bush Administration to push the No Child Left Behind education policy. “That I can absolutely say is true, yes. You always honor your word—even as a lawyer, yes.”