Judge orders pro-Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Lin Wood to take legal education classes

In a scathing 110-page opinion, a federal judge ordered sanctions against Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, and several other lawyers who filed a lawsuit trying to overturn Michigan's 2020 presidential election results, saying they "engaged in litigation practices" that were "abusive."

"Sanctions are required to deter the filing of future frivolous lawsuits designed primarily to spread the narrative that our election processes are rigged and our democratic institutions cannot be trusted," U.S. District Judge Linda Parker wrote. The judge dismissed their lawsuit in December, and in her Wednesday opinion called the filing "a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process."

Powell and Wood have been among the most outspoken supporters of former President Donald Trump, and Parker wrote that their suit "was never about fraud — it was about undermining the People's faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so." The lawyers involved in the case, she added, "have scorned their oath, flouted the rules, and attempted to undermine the integrity of the judiciary along the way."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Parker ordered the lawyers to pay the legal fees incurred by the city of Detroit and state of Michigan and attend legal education classes where they will learn about the ethical and legal requirements for filing a lawsuit. The judge has also referred the lawyers to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission for possible disciplinary action. Powell and Wood did not respond to CNN's requests for comment, but Reuters reports Wood said on social media he "had nothing to do with" the lawsuit and planned to appeal.