His headlines might be unique, but temptation is something humans share. Can we be sure we will stand firm?
The comments of Garrett Epps describing John Eastman’s career before 2020 are the kinds of things most people said. In “The Dangerous Journey of John Eastman,” he wrote, “As professor and eventually dean of Chapman University School of Law, he was respected by people on both sides of the philosophical divide. Most important to me, of all the Federalists whom I have (for my sins) debated over three decades, John was the only one who ever publicly said, ‘You know, you raise an interesting point—I am going to have to think about that.’”
Eastman’s legal reasoning occasionally embraced fringe theories, but people who knew him saw him as a mild-mannered, calm presence as he expressed them. Few people thought of him as someone likely to go out on a dangerous limb.
And yet, at the end of March, CNN reported, “An attorney discipline judge in California has recommended that ex-Trump election lawyer John Eastman be disbarred…” A respectable legal career extending over 25 years ends in ignominy.
In his 50s, Eastman had achieved success in the academic legal community, moving from tenured professor to law school dean. He had lively ties in his community: active in his Catholic parish and a leader of Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops. It could have been a satisfying life.
But the lure of political power was strong. He ran unsuccessfully for California Attorney General. He appeared as a commentator on national broadcasts. He appeared on the radar of national political leaders. Eventually, his work on who was entitled to be considered a US citizen came to the attention of the Trump administration.
In late 2020, he was recruited to serve on Trump’s “Election Integrity Working Group,” preparing to challenge the fairness of the upcoming election. In December 2020, he formally committed to serve as Trump’s attorney in election challenge lawsuits. Once his writing and publishing ran parallel to Trump’s strategy. Now he was an integral part of it.
As Trump’s efforts to remain in power grew increasingly desperate, Eastman faced a choice about the legal advice he would offer. He could have helped Trump understand there was no solid foundation for his “stolen election” fraud claims. Instead, he offered Trump new, flimsy foundations for those claims.
Attorneys are often creative as they work to defend their clients against various charges. But there are limits. In recommending Eastman’s disbarment, Judge Yvette Roland wrote, “Eastman failed to uphold his primary duty of honesty and breached his ethical obligations by presenting falsehoods to bolster his legal arguments…”
His bad advice kept him close to the centre of power… but the faithless work that maintained his position cost him everything he had built. He has earned condemnation for it. But he is only the latest in a long line of people who chose career over ethics, position over conscience. It is easy for those not facing the choice to criticize what others have chosen; easy for spectators to see the path others should take.
The number of those who choose as Eastman did suggests it’s harder than it looks to do the right thing. I’ve never met anyone who worked in the Trump administration or campaigns. But I have met people who spent their lives working for influential positions in organizations. When the moment came to choose, they discovered those positions came with a significant commitment to institutional loyalty. However they might have seen things before, from their new perspective they felt a heartfelt desire to protect and advance the institution.
At least part of a response is to hope he learns the error of his ways and finds a way to write a better second act for his life. Another part should be self-examination. Should I ever face that kind of choice, are my convictions clear and firm enough to stay the proper course? Do I have friends supporting me who can help me if I start to lose my way? Am I willing to listen to them when they offer correction? What keeps me from choosing as Eastman did?
It’s easy to feel superior when contemplating the failures of others. One thing all people share is temptation. As the Apostle Paul warned, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” No one is exempt from the temptation to follow Eastman’s dangerous journey.
