2022 Investigative Summary 6

INVESTIGATION OF ALLEGED FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ACTIVE BAR MEMBERSHIP

An Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) reported to OPR that his only active bar membership had been suspended for approximately three weeks because he failed to timely pay his annual bar membership dues.  The AUSA acknowledged in his report that he did not disclose the suspension to his supervisors or OPR until approximately four months after he discovered it.  OPR conducted an investigation and concluded that the AUSA exercised poor judgment but that his conduct did not rise to the level of professional misconduct, in part due to problems with attorneys receiving hard-copy mail caused by the pandemic.  OPR found that the AUSA maintained an email address with the bar that had fallen into disuse and paid insufficient attention to his yearly obligation to pay bar membership dues, which caused him to miss his dues payment and become suspended.  Additionally, OPR found that after the AUSA resolved his suspension with the bar, he did not appropriately consider the ramifications of his lapse of active bar membership, which caused him not to timely report his suspension to his supervisors or OPR