The criticism to the Workplace of Disciplinary Counsel takes intention at lawyer Virginia Shogren for a lawsuit in opposition to Gov. Jay Inslee that was just lately rejected as “frivolous” by the state Supreme Courtroom.
Shogren represented the Washington Election Integrity Coalition United within the Inslee lawsuit, which alleged widespread registration of noncitizens. The state Supreme Courtroom dismissed the lawsuit as with out authorized benefit and final month ordered Shogren and the coalition to pay greater than $28,000 in authorized penalties.
The bar criticism, signed by Solicitor Basic Noah Purcell, accuses Shogren of violating skilled conduct guidelines when she “superior frivolous authorized arguments and made allegations of voter fraud with no foundation in truth.”
The criticism cited claims by Shogren that her consumer had recognized 50,000 noncitizens registered to vote within the state, with out offering any foundation or methodology for these assertions. A “informal verify” of a pattern of alleged noncitizens the coalition claimed voted in 2020 confirmed the knowledge was “not dependable,” Purcell wrote. For instance, he wrote, one voter recognized by the group had tweeted about turning into a naturalized citizen in 2019.
“Unfounded and baseless allegations, like these made by Ms. Shogren has the predictable impact of undermining the general public’s religion in our democratic establishments,” Purcell wrote.
Shogren didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. She was admitted to the state bar in 2003 and has no different public disciplinary historical past, in keeping with the bar affiliation’s on-line authorized listing.
The election coalition represented by Shogren has a number of further lawsuits in opposition to elections officers pending within the federal court docket which make unsubstantiated claims of large vote fraud. Not one of the group’s lawsuits throughout the state has been profitable — mirroring the scenario nationally for such circumstances, which echo former President Donald Trump’s false claims in regards to the 2020 election.
The group’s chief, Tamborine Borrelli, is operating for secretary of state this yr, itemizing her social gathering affiliation as “America First (R).”
The Workplace of Disciplinary Counsel is charged with investigating ethics complaints in opposition to attorneys within the state. It could possibly suggest punishment starting from a proper warning to suspension or disbarment. Last selections are made by court-appointed hearings officers, with all suspensions and disbarments reviewed by the state Supreme Courtroom.
The criticism signed by Purcell doesn’t search any specific punishment, however asks the workplace to “look into this matter and take additional motion as you deem applicable.”