(Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Jonathon Moseley, the attorney for the Oath Keepers, has been disbarred in Virginia, according to Politico.
Truth be told we at ATL have wondered if Moseley might not have the best professional judgement. Perhaps it was the tweet that “I plan on drinking champagne on Oath Keepers Kelly Meggs’ new yacht, purchased from his malicious prosecution lawsuit against a dishonest prosecution over January 6.” Maybe it was his attempt to persuade US District Judge Amit Mehta that his clients were in danger of being forcibly vaccinated in jail because they’d been asked twice to get jabbed, and this was just like medical experiments performed during the Holocaust. Or maybe it was the time he previewed his legal strategy for CNN’s Brianna Keilar, claiming that the militia members thought they were coming to the January 6 riot to act as security guards, notwithstanding their long trail of messages promising “unconventional warfare,” a “bloody, massively bloody revolution,” and “torches and pitchforks time is [sic] they don’t do the right thing.”
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Moseley was also getting paid by Kraken lawyer Sidney Powell’s Defending the Republic “charity” for his representation of Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs, who has been charged with seditious conspiracy. In court filings for another client, he described his arrangement with DTR as “low bono.”
Anyway, we had doubts. And so did the Virginia State Bar, apparently:
Effective April 1, 2022, the Circuit Court of Prince William County revoked Jonathon Alden Moseley’s license to practice law in the Commonwealth for violating professional rules that govern safekeeping property; meritorious claims and contentions; candor toward the tribunal; fairness to opposing party and counsel; unauthorized practice of law, multijurisdictional practice of law; bar admission and disciplinary matters; judicial officials; and misconduct.
What did Moseley do to get disbarred? Maybe the better question is what didn’t he do. According to the disbarment order from the Prince William County Circuit Court, Moseley violated Rules 1.15(a)(1), 1.15(b)(3), 1.15(b)(5), 1.15(d), 3.1, 3.3(a)(1), 3.4(d), 3.4(j), 5.5(c), 8.1(c), 8.1(d), 8.2, 8.4, and 8.4(b). Which seems like a high score!
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Rule 1.15 deals with client funds and Rule 3 has to do with candor to a tribunal so … draw your own conclusions.
What this means for Moseley’s January 6 clients is unclear, but it probably isn’t going to make their cases, which Judge Mehta has been trying valiantly to move along, go faster.
Moseley immediately appealed the order, which is already in effect. Well … good luck to him!
Court orders Jan. 6 defense lawyer disbarred [Politico]
Liz Dye lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.