Law Professors File Misconduct Complaint Against Kellyanne Conway For ‘Lies’


It has been more than a week since legal counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway has appeared on television, according to the National Post. There are conflicting reports on the reason. Some say it was the White House’s decision because she didn’t stay “on message” for the president, others say it’s because she veers so far off message she finds her message in a world known as “alternative facts,” a word she has coined herself.

Kellyanne Conway says it was not the White House’s decision. If that is correct, that would mean that media outlets are intentionally not booking Kellyanne Conway.

Although much of this drama is merely playing out as drama on television like a bad reality show, a group of law professors from the most prestigious law schools across the nation are unhappy enough about it all that they’ve filed a misconduct complaint against Kellyanne Conway with the Washington D.C. bar according to the Washington Post.

The Washington Post has obtained a letter written by a group of law professors from “around the country” that is an official professional misconduct complaint against Kellyanne Conway. Kellyanne Conway is a lawyer and graduated from George Washington University Law before being admitted to Washington D.C. Bar in 1995.

As a lawyer, she has a code of ethics she must follow, and the letter written by 15 of her legal colleagues from around the country is saying, she violated that code. The letter is recommending sanctions against Kellyanne Conway to the D.C. Bar for her “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, and misrepresentation.”

The letter is very specific in examples and lists many, that these legal eagles say, are violations of ethics. The infamous “Bowling Green Massacre” was listed as one lie, as well as Kellyanne’s recent appearance on Fox News to promote Ivanka Trump’s brand. Huffington Post reports that the letter states that as far as the Bowling Green Massacre was concerned, “Ms. Conway knew there was no massacre.”

The 15 lawyers writing the letter take issue with the Bowling Green Massacre comments saying that it was misrepresentation, because the non-existent massacre was used to defend a travel ban that was later thumped down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals because it was an infringement on religious freedoms.

The phrase “alternative facts” was also discussed in the letter. The letter notes, “alternative facts are not facts at all; they are lies.”

The letter also states the following.

“We do not file this complaint lightly. We believe that, at one time, Ms. Conway, understood her ethical responsibilities as a lawyer and abided by them. But she is currently acting in a way that brings shame upon the legal profession.”

The professors come from Georgetown University Law Center, Fordham University, Duke University, and Yale Law School, easily considered the top law schools in the country both collectively and individually.

The letter was issued to the D.C. Office of Disciplinary Counsel who is the chief prosecutor for disciplinary matters against lawyers in Washington. Kellyanne Conway is currently listed in the D.C. Bar, but under her maiden name Kellyanne Fitzpatrick. She is however a suspended member already, for not having paid her dues according to the letter.

It’s not the first formal complaint against Kellyanne Conway. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) has also recommended disciplinary action against Kellyanne Conway for violating ethics while in public office. This after Rep. Elijah Cummings and GOP Oversight Chair Jason Chaffetz filed a letter with the OGE after Kellyanne Conway promoted Ivanka Trump’s clothing line on Fox News.

But that’s not even the only problem Kellyanne Conway has had. When General Flynn’s actions related to an alleged phone call with Russia hit the airwaves, Kellyanne Conway told the public in an interview that the president was fully confident in General Flynn and gave Flynn his full support. This directly contradicted what Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in the press briefing room the same day, saying that the president was “evaluating the situation.”

[Image by Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File/AP Images]

General Flynn was asked to resign hours later. As the National Post reports, Kellyanne Conway then appeared on the morning show circuit saying it was all General Flynn’s idea to step down. Again, Sean Spicer contradicted her in the press briefing room hours later saying, “Trump asked for and received Flynn’s resignation.”

Abbe Smith of Georgetown Law and a director of the Criminal Defense and Prisoner Advocacy Clinic says she’s never had to file such a complaint against a fellow legal member before, but that,

“Ms. Conway’s conduct was so outside the norm for a member of the legal profession. What prompted our complaint was a combination of the specific conduct that Ms. Conway engaged in plus the fact that she holds such a high public office.”

And although Kellyanne Conway has been off the media circuit for a week, she resumed yesterday when the Conservative Political Action Conference known as CPAC 2017 occurred. And again, she has already gotten in trouble for statements that conflict with existing fact. NBC News reported that Merriam Webster’s Dictionary reported that a spike in the search for the definition of “feminism” occurred yesterday after Kellyanne Conway went public to say what she thought feminism was.

The following is what Kellyanne Conway had to say about feminism.

“It’s difficult for me to call myself a feminist in a classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male, and it certainly is very pro-abortion, and I’m neither anti-male or pro-abortion.”

Not all feminists are pro-abortion, and there are no facts to suggest anything to the contrary. But all feminists are for equality, and thus, are by definition, not anti-male either.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, who has frequently corrected Donald Trump on the definition of words, immediately tweeted out the definition of feminism, saying it is, “The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” For the record, the Oxford Dictionary has a very similar definition of feminism, saying it is, “The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.”

[Image by Susan Walsh/AP Images]

While Kellyanne Conway does not consider herself to be a feminist, Time Magazine reports that at the CPAC 2017 event yesterday she also stated several things about the Trump Administration’s approach to women. The statements she made about women in the Trump Administration do not turn out to be accurate. She said that,

“He has been promoting and elevating women in the Trump Corporation – in the Trump campaign, in the Trump Cabinet, certainly in the Trump White House. It’s just a very natural affinity for him.”

The facts do not appear to align with this, reports Time Magazine. Time says, “No such elevation has taken place.” Time also says that not only does Trump not have a large women presence in his Cabinet, but that his stats on that actually backslide from previous administrations.

Trump has nominated four women to Cabinet positions, Barack Obama had seven, and President Clinton had six. President George W. Bush also had six. Additionally, the women that Trump has chosen are in “less senior positions,” including their prominence in the White House and in the line of succession.

This is especially true when compared to previous administrations. President Obama had Hillary Clinton in a top tier position with Secretary of State, as did President Bush by appointing Condoleeza Rice to the same position. Kellyanne Conway is the only top tier position in the White House that is female, and she is not in the line of succession.

From a percentage standpoint, Time reported that President Obama’s Cabinet was 35 percent women, 41 percent during President Clinton’s second term, and 17 percent in the Trump Cabinet. This is lower even than President Reagan’s 18 percent, and George W. Bush’s 30 percent.

In the White House staff itself for top White House positions, Time reported that the percentage of women in White House jobs is “lower than during at least five of the last six presidential terms.” White House staff overall however in the Trump Administration have “nearly the same” percentage as previous administrations, but this percentage increases as it includes all positions in the White House, including positions in the White House residence, kitchens, and housekeeping.

USA Today recently reported that men in the White House out number women in a 2:1 ratio. USA Today reported the high for senior West Wing jobs for women was 52 percent with President Clinton, but dipped to 28 percent with President George W. Bush. USA Today also reported that the numbers sank to 23 percent for Trump, which the White House reportedly disputes. But, the White House failed to provide names and titles to back up their dispute when requested.

Kellyanne Conway is the most well known female senior staff in the White House and Trump administration. But she is not a member that is senior enough to succeed to any other position in the White House. With the exception of General Flynn who has had to resign due to misconduct, Kellyanne Conway is also the one staff member of the White House that has the most disciplinary actions and misconduct reports filed against her. Most of her alleged ethics violations stem back to her difficulty in maintaining accuracy publicly.

In this January interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Kellyanne Conway talks about how celebrities need to be “held to account” and shouldn’t be bringing politics to awards shows. She then tells Jake Tapper that Donald Trump never mocked a disabled reporter. But he did, as seen in the video above. Jake Tapper calls Kellyanne on it to hold her to account, and saying it “looks like you’re trying to scare me off the point.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ismUpm5aigE&ab_channel=MarcHustle

The media that do not book her anymore will say it is because Kellyanne Conway lies. The letters requesting disciplinary action against her say they are doing so because Kellyanne Conway lies. Kellyanne Conway disagrees with these statements, but since making it back onto the airways within the last 24 hours, she has already provided multiple statements that are being questioned on accuracy.

[Feature Image by Evan Vucci/AP Images]

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