U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika released an order this week threatening sanctions against Hunter Biden’s lawyers after accusing Latham & Watkins lawyer Jessica Bengels of having "misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the Clerk's Office" to remove a key document from the ongoing criminal tax case involving President Biden’s son.
Bengels called the clerk’s office "pretending" to be associated with lawyers linked to the House Republican Ways & Means Committee, which has also been investigating Hunter Biden, the order said. Hunter Biden’s legal team said it was "an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication between a staff member at our firm and employees of the Court."
Rep.Ricketts (R-NE) [of the Judiciary Committee] called on courts in both New York and Washington, D.C., where Hunter Biden’s lawyers are licensed to practice, to launch an ethics investigation into Bengels and lead lawyer Christopher Clark.
"I write to you regarding the apparent unethical conduct of members of the New York State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. As you know, the cornerstone of the legal profession is ethics. All legal professionals, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, are expected to maintain strict standards for the protection of colleagues, clients, and the court," Ricketts wrote in a letter sent Friday.
"I am asking both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to take swift action to examine the actions of attorneys Christopher Clark and Jessica L. Bengels."
The letter came after a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and U.S. attorneys fell apart this week.
- "While the exact details of this matter are uncertain, it appears an ethical line was crossed," Ricketts said of the misrepresentation accusations. "Regardless of whether or not it was Ms. Bengels or another staff member at Latham & Watkins who called the clerk, the circumstances surrounding the incident demand an investigation.
"Furthermore, it was the responsibility of Biden’s lead lawyer, Christopher Clark, to ensure his team conducted themselves in a manner consistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct. It is the responsibility of courts, legislatures, and state bars to ensure that members of the profession adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct."
"Therefore, I ask both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to open investigations into the conduct of both Christopher Clark and Jessica Bengels."
