A federal lawsuit filed by the Trump administration over the discipline of former Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark has been assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, a George W. Bush appointee who has issued several sharp rulings against President Donald Trump’s administration.
The case, titled U.S.A. v. Fox, was taken up on Thursday by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It is named after Hamilton P. Fox, the D.C. Bar’s lead disciplinary counsel. In the lawsuit, the federal government is seeking to void and block disciplinary actions against Clark, who was recently disbarred in Washington, D.C., over his role in efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election in Trump’s favor.
The case was assigned through the court’s randomized selection process. In Washington, D.C., the general rule is that cases are assigned to judges “selected at random.” That process placed the case before Leon, whose recent rulings have angered some Trump allies.
Earlier this year, Leon issued an order blocking the construction of Trump’s proposed $400 million East Wing ballroom. Last summer, he ruled that Trump had “likely” acted illegally by trying to appoint a lone member to an agency that had been reduced with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency. In May 2025, Leon also ruled against Trump’s efforts targeting a disfavored law firm.
The Justice Department sued the D.C. Bar, related disciplinary officials and entities, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday evening. The complaint alleges constitutional violations tied to the attorney discipline imposed on Clark.
“The D.C. Court of Appeals’ disciplinary authorities are punishing a former Department of Justice official for preparing a deliberative and pre-decisional draft letter that was never issued,” the 26-page complaint begins. “No one disputes that the letter reflected the official’s sincere view of the law and facts; instead, Defendants are punishing him over an internal disagreement that remains the subject of litigation nearly six years later.”
The administration argues that D.C. bar authorities have acted in a partisan manner against Trump, his allies, and the federal government. “As our complaint and history make clear, the DC Bar has long acted as a blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “No more.”
The lawsuit relies heavily on the federal preemption doctrine, arguing that local or state-style bar authorities cannot regulate federal officials acting within the scope of their duties.
“D.C. courts have been treated as local, not Federal, institutions,” the filing reads. “States may not regulate agents of the United States in the lawful performance of their duties, and agents of the United States cannot be liable to answer to state courts for the performance of those duties.”
Clark’s discipline stemmed from an unsent draft letter that falsely claimed the Justice Department had identified concerns that may have affected election results in multiple states, including Georgia. Disciplinary charges said Clark attempted to engage in dishonest conduct and conduct that would seriously interfere with the administration of justice.
The DOJ argues the discipline unfairly targets federal government lawyers and could chill legal advice inside the executive branch.
“Weaponizing state bar discipline against Executive Branch attorneys in this way chills them from giving candid legal advice to others in the Executive Branch, including the President and Attorney General,” the lawsuit reads. “To permit these proceedings is to allow state bar authorities to control the Executive Branch. That is not the law.”
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