STATE BAR OF GEORGIA
THE DEMOCRATIC COALITION, )
SCOTT DWORKIN, JON COOPER AND )
J. WHITFIELD LARRABEE, )
)
V. )
)
JAY ALAN SEKULOW )
)
COMPLAINT
1. This is a complaint against Jay Alan Sekulow (“Sekulow”).
2. Sekulow is licensed to practice law in Georgia and is a lawyer subject to the disciplinary
authority this jurisdiction. Sekulow is well known as an attorney for President Donald
Trump.
3. In representing Donald Trump, Sekulow violated the Georgia Rules of Professional
conduct by counseling and assisting Michael Cohen, a former lawyer of Donald Trump,
to testify falsely before Congress.
4. In representing Donald Trump, Sekulow violated the Georgia Rules of Professional
conduct by repeatedly and inaccurately telling members of the press that the President
played no role in drafting a false statement of Donald Trump Jr. about a meeting with
Russian individuals in Trump Tower. In fact, The President played an active in drafting
the false statement. This misconduct occurred on or about July 12, 2017 and July 16,
2017. See, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, III, Report On The Investigation Into
Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election, Vol. 2, pp. 104-05. Sekulow’s
statements to the media were dishonest and deceitful misrepresentations.
5. Sekulow violated Rule 3.4 (b)(2) by aiding, abetting, counseling and assisting Cohen to
testify falsely. Rule 3.4 (b)(2) provides that a lawyer shall not “counsel or assist a witness
to testify falsely.”
6. Sekulow violated Rule 8.4(a)(4) of Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct that provides
that a lawyer shall not “engage in professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit
or misrepresentation.”
7. On August 28, 2017, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen,
submitted a written statement to Congress. Sekulow participated in drafting the
statement. The written statement included statements about Trump Tower Moscow that
were known to be false by Cohen and Sekulow.
8. On October 24 and 25, 2017, Cohen testified before Congress and repeated the false
statements that were included in his written statement about Trump Tower Moscow.
9. On or about November 29, 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to a criminal charge based on lies
he told to Congress. The guilty plea concerned the false statements about Trump Tower
Moscow that Sekulow counseled and assisted Cohen to make. Cohen is presently serving
a term in federal prison based on his conviction in this matter and for other crimes.
10. Cohen testified in early 2019 that the respondent, the President's current attorney Jay
Sekulow, knew that Cohen's claim to Congress that the Trump Tower Moscow project
ended in January 2016 was false.
11. Cohen testified it was Sekulow who was the one who decided to pick January 2016 as the
time when they stopped working on Trump Tower Moscow.
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12 Michael Cohen told lawmakers that ‘to the best of my recollection,’ Mr. Sekulow
suggested he falsely state in his 2017 statement to Congress that negotiations around a
possible Trump project in Moscow had ended in January 2016 — when in fact the talks
carried on until that June.
13. Committee Chairman Adam Schiff asked Michael Cohen: "Just to be perfectly clear
about this, the statement about the Trump Tower negotiations ending in January that was
part of your original draft was false, and Mr. Sekulow knew that it was false?" asked, a
California Democrat, according to the transcript.
"Yes, sir," Cohen answered.
14. Cohen was asked, “Did you discuss that with Jay Sekulow?”
Cohen answered, “Yes.”
Cohen was asked, “What did he say about using January as the date?”
Cohen answered, “Good. Good. Let’s just stay on message. Keep this thing short.”
15. In representing Donald Trump, Sekulow engaged in other dishonest and deceitful conduct
related to the investigation of Robert Mueller and a Joint Defense Agreement that
violated the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. This included, but is not limited to,
Sekulow omitting material information from Michael Cohen’s written statement that was
submitted to Congress and conduct that encouraged Cohen to testify falsely.
16. Excerpts of some of the relevant testimony From Michael Cohen, where he describes how
Sekulow counseled and assisted him in giving false testimony to Congress, are attached
hereto as Exhibits “A” and “B.”
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WHEREFORE, the complainants respectfully request the State Bar of Georgia to fully
investigate the facts and violations described in this complaint and that it duly, expeditiously and
properly enforce the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.
Respectfully submitted,
J. WHITFIELD LARRABEE,
individually and as attorney for
THE DEMOCRATIC COALITION,
JON COOPER and SCOTT DWORKIN
J. Whitfield Larrabee
Trial and Appellate Lawyer
Law Office of J. Whitfield Larrabee
14 Searle Avenue
Brookline, MA 02445
(857) 991-9894
DATED: May 24, 2019
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