(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday it will ease blood donation restrictions on gay and bisexual men, allowing those in monogamous relationships to donate.
The policy change comes after years of urging by public health experts, blood banks and LGBTQ advocacy groups. The new policy would address future blood shortages and remove the stigma around gay men, experts say.
Additionally, the American Red Cross and the American Medical Association have both supported a risk-based approach to donor eligibility.
“Whether it’s for someone involved in a car accident, or for an individual with a life-threatening illness, blood donations save lives every day,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf. “Maintaining a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products in the U.S. is paramount for the FDA, and this proposal for an individual risk assessment, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will enable us to continue using the best science to do so.”
Rather than a blanket ban due to sexual orientation, the relaxation of the rule would screen potential donors on their risk of contracting and transmitting HIV.
In 1985, in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, the FDA banned all blood donations from men who have sex with men.
The policy did not change until 2015, when rules were slightly relaxed to allow this group of donors to give blood as long as they abstained from sex for one year. In 2020, amid severe blood shortages during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA shortened the abstinence period to 90 days.
The policy change means gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can donate without abstaining from sex as long as they test HIV negative and are practicing safe sex.
It also means the U.S. will join several Western countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Greece and the Netherlands, which have recently either dropped bans or eased restrictions.
Last month, the FDA told ABC News the evidence analyzed so far will “likely support a policy transition” that focuses screening blood donations based on each person’s HIV risk.
In 2020, the FDA launched a study called ADVANCE to look into alternative solutions to its current policy. The FDA is currently reviewing research from the American Red Cross, OneBlood and Vitalant to determine if eligibility based on an individual’s risk can replace the current time-based deferral system while maintaining the safety of the blood supply.
Experts say the updated policy will also help address the national blood shortage and, in turn, save lives. In January 2022, the American Red Cross said it was facing its worst blood shortage in more than a decade, although it is no longer in a crisis.
Despite the easing of rules, non-monogamous men are not allowed to donate even if they produce a negative HIV test, practice safe sex with condoms or take pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — a daily pill containing two medications that prevent HIV-negative patients from being infected.
ABC News’ Sony Salzman and Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.
Looks like Sam Smith isn’t the only one who thinks Kim Petras makes a great duet partner: Meghan Trainor has now tapped her for a remix of her smash hit “Made You Look.”
“Kim is an icon. I have been a fan for a very long time and I am so excited to have her on ‘Made You Look,’” Meghan says in a statement. “We had such a fun time in the studio together and she added the perfect energy to the song. She is a queen and I cannot wait for everyone to hear her voice on this song! She really brought it to a whole new level.”
Kim’s part comes in about a minute and 20 seconds into the track: She sings, “Don’t be shy just put your hands on me/one night, I’ll let you live your wildest dreams.”
Then Meghan joins her as they sing, “So watch me break my back underneath the covers/Double take for that/’cause no one does it better for you/Tell me what you, what you, what you gon’ do.”
Kim says in a statement, “I had ‘Made You Look’ stuck in my head for months. It’s just so catchy and I felt like the song was like a warm hug. So I loved it right away, and then when I got asked to jump on it, I was really, really excited.”
Kim goes on to say, “I think Meghan is such a great pop songwriter, so it was an incredible experience…She really is like a little angel and such a treasure and deserves everything that’s coming her way with the song and I just feel so excited and honored to be a part of it. We collaborated in a really special way that I won’t forget.”
He recently suffered serious burns in a garage mishap, but Jay Leno isn’t giving himself a break: He revealed to the Las Vegas Review Journal that he had a pretty gnarly motorcycle accident just last week.
In an interview with the paper, which was covering his March stand-up return to Sin City, a reporter asked the 72-year-old former Tonight Show host how he was recovering from the serious burns he’d suffered in November.
“It’s so funny you should say that,” Leno replied. “That was the first accident. OK? Then just last week, I got knocked off my motorcycle. So I’ve got a broken collarbone. I’ve got two broken ribs. I’ve got two cracked kneecaps.”
The latest accident apparently happened on January 17.
Leno added, “But I’m OK! I’m OK, I’m working. I’m working this weekend.”
As was the case with the November incident, the Jay Leno’s Garage host’s love for vintage vehicles was at the center: A classic Indian bike he was driving suffered a fuel leak mid-ride.
The comedian recalled, “So I turned down a side street and cut through a parking lot, and unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it. So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clotheslined me and, boom, knocked me off the bike. The bike kept going, and you know how that works out.”
As in the November accident, Leno’s sense of humor wasn’t injured. “You know, after getting burned up, you get that one for free. After that, you’re Harrison Ford, crashing airplanes. You just want to keep your head down,” he added, laughing.
Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn appears on “Good Morning America,” on Jan. 27, 2023. – ABC News
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said video of the Jan. 7 traffic stop that allegedly led to Tyre Nichols’ death left her “horrified,” “disgusted,” “sad” and “confused.”
“In my 36 years, […] I would have to say I don’t think I’ve ever been more horrified and disgusted, sad […] and, to some degree, confused,” Davis told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during an interview Friday on Good Morning America.
“As we continue to try to build trust with our community, this is a very, very heavy cross to bear — not just for our department but for departments across the country,” she added. “Building trust is a day-by-day interaction between every traffic stop, every encounter with the community. We all have to be responsible for that and it’s going to be difficult in the days to come.”
Nichols, 29, died in a hospital three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop in Memphis on Jan. 7. Video of the incident, comprised of footage from the city’s surveillance cameras and the former officers’ body-worn cameras, has yet to be made public but is expected to be released on Friday evening.
“There was much discussion about when an appropriate time for the video to be released,” Davis told ABC News. “We felt that Friday would be better. We’re taking under consideration the reaction of the community that could potentially take place and ensuring that our schools, you know, are out, most business folks would be on the way home.”
Authorities have warned law enforcement agencies of the reaction that may transpire when the footage is released, and Memphis is not the only city on alert. In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday that it has “fully activated all sworn personnel in preparation for possible First Amendment activities.” The United States Capitol Police, charged with protecting Congress, is also taking steps to boost security ahead of the video release, a source briefed on the agency’s plans told ABC News on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Police Department said Friday that it is “closely monitoring the situation in Memphis” and is “working with our stakeholders to ensure that we have ample staffing on hand in order to provide for the safety and First Amendment rights of demonstrators, residents, and visitors.”
Last week, the Memphis Police Department fired five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — in connection with Nichols’ death. All five men were arrested on Thursday and each charged with several felonies, including second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, official misconduct and official oppression, according to online jail records for Tennessee’s Shelby County and a press release from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
“Even though this is a very, very difficult video to watch, it was never a thought that we would not release this video,” Davis noted. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t released too prematurely because we wanted to ensure that the DA’s office, the TBI and also the FBI had an opportunity to cross some of the hurdles that they had to in their investigation. And we’re sort of at a point now that the DA has made his statements in reference to charges of these officers, that this is a safe time for us to release the video.”
When pressed on why the video left her “confused,” the police chief told ABC News that it was “just in the level of aggression and response to what had occurred in this traffic stop and is still very unclear, you know, as to the real reason for the stop in the first place.”
Nichols was arrested in Memphis on the evening of Jan. 7, after officers attempted to make a traffic stop for reckless driving near the area of Raines Road and Ross Road, according to separate press releases from the Memphis Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A confrontation unfolded as the officers approached Nichols, who ran away. Another confrontation occurred when the officers pursued Nichols and ultimately apprehended him, police said.
After the incident, Nichols “complained of having a shortness of breath” and was transported by ambulance to Memphis’ St. Francis Hospital in critical condition, according to police.
Due to Nichols’ condition, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and TBI special agents were subsequently requested to conduct a use-of-force investigation, according to the TBI.
Nichols “succumbed to his injuries” on Jan. 10, the TBI said.
Local, state and federal authorities continue to investigate the Jan. 7 traffic stop and Nichols’ death.
According to a preliminary independent autopsy commissioned by Nichols’ family and released by their lawyers, he suffered from “extensive bleeding caused by a severe beating.”
Neither the independent autopsy report nor official autopsy report have been publicly released.
When asked what went wrong that fateful day, the police chief told ABC News that she thinks “there were several gaps that took place.”
“I’m just going to be honest, anytime we have officers that are working in various types of units — and our police department along with departments around the country have specialized units — it’s just important to make sure that there are supervisors that are where they’re supposed to be during these types of operations,” Davis added. ” You know, individuals that are the right people that are in place that will act appropriately when these types of incidents occur.”
“I believe there was a sense of group think in the mentality of what was happening,” she said, “and it’s just very unfortunate that nobody stepped forward to say ‘enough.'”
Davis also noted that “the stop itself was very questionable” and investigators “have been unable to verify the reckless driving allegation.”
Bean, Haley, Martin, Mills and Smith were part of the SCORPION Unit, an acronym for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace In Our Neighborhoods launched in 2021 by the Memphis Police Department. The goal of the unit was created to address violent crimes in the city in a 50-person unit that operates seven days a week. According to the Memphis Police Department, the five former officers violated policies for use of force, duty to intervene and duty to render aid. Other officers are under investigation for department violations as well.
The police chief told ABC News that she is not aware of any prior criminal records for Bean, Haley, Martin, Mills or Smith.
All five were booked into Shelby County Jail on Thursday. Bonds were set at $350,000 for Martin and Haley, and $250,000 for Bean, Mills and Smith, according to a press release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. As of early Friday morning, online jail records show Bean, Martin, Mills and Smith have since been released after posting bond. Records show Haley is the only one still in custody, though it appears he has posted bond.
Mills’ lawyer, Blake Ballin, and the attorney for Martin, William Massey, told reporters on Thursday that they have not yet seen video of the Jan. 7 incident, but they said their clients were “devastated” about the charges and will be pleading not guilty. Although there have been no public announcement of other defense attorneys representing the officers, Ballin and Massey told reporters that all former officers are currently represented.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, joined by TBI Director David Rausch and other members of the state agency, held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to officially announce the charges against the five former officers.
“Nothing we do today or did today precludes the addition of any further charges regarding any of the people [involved],” Mulroy told reporters.
Earlier this week, Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told ABC News that the family is seeking a first-degree murder charge. But Mulroy said Thursday that he had met with the family about the charges brought and “expedited” the investigation.
The TBI director described the Jan. 7 incident as “absolutely appalling.”
“Let me be clear, what happened here does not at all reflect proper policing,” Rausch told reporters. “This was wrong. This was criminal.”
Nichols’ family and their lawyers have already seen video of the incident. One of the family’s attorneys, Ben Crump, told ABC News that the footage was “tragic” and “so difficult to watch,” describing Nichols as a “gentle soul.”
“Even while he’s being brutalized, you still see the humanity in Tyre that he was a good kid,” Crump said during an interview Thursday night on ABC News Live Prime. “It’s just troubling on so many levels that they continue to escalate. They never de-escalate. And it’s just heart wrenching at the end where, you know, he calls for his mother three times. I mean, heart wrenching cries for his mother. And then he never says another word again.”
Crump said Nichols’ family is “relieved” that the officers were terminated “in a swift manner” and also “thankful that the charges were brought today.”
“What I found is — in my almost 25 years of doing this civil rights work in America — it is not the race of the police officer that is the determining factor of whether they are going to engage in excessive use of force,” he added. “But it is the race of the citizen and, oftentimes, it’s Black and brown citizens who bear the brunt of this police brutality. We don’t see our white brothers and sisters who are unarmed encounter this type of excessive force at the hands of police.”
ABC News’ Nakylah Carter, Armando Garcia, Ahmad Hemingway, Josh Margolin, Mark Osborne, Stephanie Wash and Whitney Lloyd contributed to this report.
For any performer, it’s always embarrassing to have an onstage wardrobe malfunction, but imagine it happening in front of the first celebrity they ever crushed on. Unfortunately, that was Harry Styles‘ experience Thursday night.
As the New York Postreports, Harry was performing in Inglewood, CA in front of a star-studded audience that included Ellen DeGeneres, Kylie Jenner, Trevor Noah and Jennifer Aniston, who Harry revealed in 2020 was “probably” his first celebrity crush.
But as Harry dropped to his knees while singing “Music for a Sushi Restaurant,” his pants split. According to the Post, he made a shocked face, covered the tear with his hands and jokingly rolled his eyes at his band. He then got a towel to cover the rip.
A fan tweeted, “If I were Harry, just thinking about ripping my pants in front of Jennifer Aniston would send me into early retirement.“
Harry and Aniston do seem to have a fashion connection, if not a love connection. You might recall that in 2021, Aniston wore the same Gucci suit on the cover of InStyle that Harry had previously sported at the BRIT Awards. “Just call me Harriet Styles,” joked The Morning Show star.
But that’s not all: That same year, Harry was seen wearing the same “Save the drama for your mama” t-shirt that Aniston wore in season 10 of Friends.
James Cameron’s Avatar sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is now the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time, collecting $2.054 billion as of Thursday. It moves past 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, which grossed $2.052 billion. Only Avatar ($2.92 billion), Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion), Titanic ($2.19 billion) and Star Wars Episode VII — The Force Awakens ($2.07 billion) rank higher on the all-time list. Avatar: The Way of Water has also topped Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s $1.92 billion), to become the highest-grossing movie of the pandemic era…
Netflix has renewed The Recruit for a second season. The spy drama follows a young CIA lawyer — played by Black Adam‘s Noah Centineo — who becomes entangled in the dangerous world of power politics. “I know I speak for our entire cast and executive team at eOne and Netflix when I say that we are thrilled to be returning to The Recruit for a second season. I’m looking forward to seeing what [series creator] Alexi Hawley has in store for us all,” Centineo said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. Laura Haddock, Fivel Stewart, Vondie Curtis Hall, Kristian Bruun, Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn and Daniel Quincy Annoh also star…
NBC will pay tribute to Carol Burnett on her 90th birthday with the two-hour special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love. The evening will feature appearances from Aileen Quinn, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Bob Mackie, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Lily Tomlin, Marisa Tomei, Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell, Susan Lucci, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Vicki Lawrence, along with musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth and many others. Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love airs April 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and streams the next day on Peacock…
(NEW YORK) — Randy Gonzalez, the Texas father behind the popular “Enkyboys” account on social media died Wednesday at age 35, his mother Beatrice Gonzalez and brother David Gonzalez confirmed to ABC News.
Gonzalez’s death came less than one year after he announced he had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
Gonzalez and his son Brice became famous on TikTok for their funny father-son comedy bits and dances.
“At first, we were kind of shy but we broke out of that shell because people love Brice so much and then they love the duo of the father and son, so we were just like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s do it!'” Gonzalez told Good Morning America back in 2020 about the rise of “Enkyboys.”
Last April, Gonzalez revealed in a video post that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in November 2021.
“I kept it to myself and I felt like it was selfish because I didn’t want to tell everybody my business because it was personal. But I feel like I can use my situation to give awareness for young men like myself because I’m only 34, and they say it’s very rare for a young guy like myself to catch colon cancer,” Gonzalez said in the video at the time, adding that a doctor had told him he had a life expectancy between two and five years.
“I didn’t know how to take it. You know, it was devastating,” Gonzalez continued.
In the video, Gonzalez also opened up about one of his initial symptoms that led him to see a doctor in the first place.
“I want to help other people and start awareness for young men to go get checked for colon cancer, to go get a colonoscopy. How I figured out, I was having a problem with my upper abdomen and I was always in pain,” he said. “And luckily, my wife told me to go get a colonoscopy because I was just gonna get an EGD [esophagogastoduodenoscopy] through my throat because they thought it was a ulcer or something. But long story short, I wanted to start awareness of colon cancer for young men to start, to go get checked in the early ages, 30 years old.”
Since then, the “Enkyboys” social media accounts have featured posts aimed at raising colon cancer awareness, with Gonzalez sharing the symptoms he experienced, such as abdominal pain and constipation, and taking fans along as he underwent chemotherapy treatments.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colon or colorectal cancer is a type of cancer originating from polyps in the colon or rectum. In the U.S., it has become the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
The disease can affect men and women of any racial and ethnic background. People at increased risk of developing colon cancer include individuals with a family history of colon polyps or colon cancer and those with bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Lifestyle can also play a role and increase a person’s risk, such as a diet high in fat and low in fiber, the use of alcohol and tobacco and a lack of physical activity.
Last year, a major study showed that more young people, including more individuals of non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic descent and those between the ages of 20 and 29, have been getting diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer in recent years, prompting doctors to call for more early detection and colon cancer screenings of individuals younger than 50.
Who should get screened for colon cancer?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and CDC currently recommend that people between the ages of 45 and 75 get regular colon cancer screenings, while those older than 75 should consult with their doctor before getting a screening. If at increased risk due to family history of colon polyps or colon cancer or for those with bowel diseases, screening may start before the age of 45, but this should be discussed with a doctor beforehand. A screening can consist of a stool test, a flexible sigmoidoscopy where a doctor places a tube in the rectum to check for polyps, a colonoscopy, or a CT colonography or virtual colonoscopy.
What are the symptoms of colon cancer?
An individual with colon cancer may not always exhibit symptoms initially, according to the CDC, and they can vary. Symptoms include:
Abdominal aches, pain or cramps
Bowel habit changes, including a feeling that the bowel does not empty entirely
Blood in the stool
Constipation
Diarrhea
Unexplained weight loss
Gonzalez is survived by his wife Kimberly and their three kids, son Brice and daughters Lauren and Nylah. Kimberley Gonzalez and her daughters also have their own TikTok and social media accounts called “Enkygirls.”
Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday celebrated the 20th anniversary of his ABC late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with a primetime special featuring George Clooney, Snoop Dogg and Coldplay — the same lineup that appeared on the show when it premiered January 26, 2003.
“Right out of the gate, we were an immediate hit,” Kimmel joked during his monologue, before reading a list of reviews, calling it a “dead-on-arrival talk show with a charisma-free host” and another that compared it to the “kind of mess created by a sick infant with a leaky diaper.”
Kimmel, 55, also used a bit of 2023 technical wizardry to update his younger self on everything that has happened over the past 20 years.
The guest segments featured Clooney and Snoop Dogg reminiscing about that first show, in which Clooney recalled they “got the audience drunk” and ended up with one woman vomiting on the studio floor.
“By the way, we assumed she was vomiting because she was drunk, it may have just been the show,” quipped Kimmel.
The final guest of the night was Coldplay frontman Chris Martin who, after explaining that they weren’t called to appear until the last minute, gifted Kimmel with a music box that played the band’s hit, “Clocks.” Martin began singing to the music box, joined later by a string section, followed by a choir, and eventually the rest of his band — and Kimmel, who played a bass clarinet.
Many celebrities, including Carol Burnett, Matt Damon, Julia Louis Dreyfus and Michelle Obama, also congratulated Kimmel on his anniversary, appearing in pre-recorded messages during the special.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Thursday held the White House’s first-ever Lunar New Year reception only days after a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, during a Lunar New Year celebration.
“It’s wonderful to see so many friends on this special holiday, even as we gather with such heavy hearts,” the president said opening his remarks.
“Our prayers are with the people of Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, and after yet another spree of gun violence in America,” Biden said, referring to both the Lunar New Year killings and a second mass shooting at two farms in California on Monday.
On Saturday, a gunman opened fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park, which is a predominantly Asian community, killing 11 people. Two days later in Half Moon Bay, seven people were killed. The victims were of Asian and Hispanic descent.
Biden said at Thursday’s reception that he was encouraged by Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and a former mayor of Monterey Park, to continue his plans to hold the celebration despite the tragic shootings.
“She said ‘we have to move forward,'” Biden recalled. “Her message was, ‘Don’t give into fear and sorrow. Don’t do that. Stand in solidarity — in the spirit of toughness that this holiday is all about.'”
Lunar New Year, which began on Sunday, is widely celebrated in China and other Asian countries. Participants honor their ancestors, play games and serve traditional food.
At the White House, the president also applauded the actions of Brandon Tsay, the 26-year-old who disarmed the Monterey shooter after he entered his family’s dance studio.
“Brandon said he thought he’s gonna die, but then he thought about the people inside,” Biden said, referring to a phone call he had with Tsay. “Think about this now. Just think about this in reality. And in that moment, he follows instinct. And he follows his courage.”
Biden also touted the diversity in his administration, noting that more than 13% of his administration is of Asian and Pacific Islander background, saying that is why he was “doing so well.”
Elaine Tso, CEO of Asian Services in Action, spoke at the reception and shared her anguish at the recent mass shootings during her remarks at the reception.
“As you know, Lunar New Year is the most celebrated holiday by Asians across the world, and this year’s festivities have felt different,” she said. “I’m still processing the recent mass shootings. So I will simply say that more needs to be done to address gun violence in America.”
During the White House’s celebration, the president recognized some of the guests in the audience, including Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
Acknowledging the uptick in violence against the Asian and Pacific Islander community amid the COVID-19 pandemic and against women in the community, in particular, Biden said: “For the progress, this community has experienced profound hate, pain and violence and loss with the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes.”
“You know, gut wrenching attacks on elderly immigrant women. As I’ve said many times before, hate can have no safe-haven or harbor in America. No person deserves to be treated with hate. … We all deserve to be treated with dignity and with respect,” he said.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — The State Bar of California on Thursday filed a notice of disciplinary charges against former Donald Trump attorney John Eastman over what bar officials said were Eastman’s alleged efforts to aid Trump in his bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The complaint levels 11 different disciplinary — not criminal — charges against Eastman detailing various efforts to craft and play a leadership role in trying to reverse Trump’s loss to Joe Biden, which hinged on false claims about widespread election fraud that the state bar claims led to the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
“There is nothing more sacrosanct to our American democracy than free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power,” California State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said in a statement.
“The Notice of Disciplinary Charges alleges that Mr. Eastman violated this duty in furtherance of an attempt to usurp the will of the American people and overturn election results for the highest office in the land—an egregious and unprecedented attack on our democracy—for which he must be held accountable,” Cardona said.
His office will seek Eastman’s disbarment, according to a news release.
Eastman’s attorney did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Eastman’s actions are already being scrutinized by federal prosecutors investigating Trump and his allies’ attempt to overturn the election. Last June, agents seized Eastman’s phone as part of their investigation.
Grand jury subpoenas issued in recent months to Trump allies and state officials have sought any records documenting communications that any of those individuals may have had with Eastman, who has denied any wrongdoing while continuing to push officials in swing states to cast doubt on the 2020 results.
Eastman is the latest legal ally of Trump to face the prospect of potential disbarment over involvement in the campaign against the 2020 election results.
Rudy Giuliani, the famed New York City Mayor-turned-Trump attorney, is battling similar disciplinary efforts, in Washington, as is former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and lawyer Sidney Powell, who has been slapped with sanctions over filing lawsuits packed with false claims of fraud.
