A federal judge has taken a strong stance against attorney Stefanie Lambert, banning her from representing former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne in a defamation case brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya cited Lambert’s “repeated misconduct” as the basis for her removal.
The lawsuit, initiated by Dominion in 2021, seeks over $1.7 billion in damages from Byrne, who allegedly claimed the company manipulated voting machines in favor of President Joe Biden during the 2020 election—a claim fueled by conspiracy theories from former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Lambert began her representation of Byrne in December 2023, shortly after facing felony charges in Michigan for allegedly trying to illegally access voting machines in pursuit of proof to support Trump’s claims of a “stolen” election, as reported by The Washington Post.
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According to Upadhyaya’s recent ruling, Lambert violated numerous court orders, including a confidentiality agreement, by sharing sensitive information with a Michigan sheriff, which was subsequently made public. This information was also referenced in her unrelated criminal trial.
The judge criticized Lambert for failing to provide any substantial evidence to support her claims about national security crimes related to Dominion’s litigation documents. Upadhyaya noted, “Despite her numerous allegations, she does not substantiate these legal arguments.” The judge emphasized that Lambert’s actions demonstrated a clear disregard for her obligations as an attorney.
Removing a lawyer from a case is a rare move, typically reserved for conflicts of interest. However, Upadhyaya deemed this action necessary to prevent further disruption to the proceedings caused by Lambert’s ongoing misconduct.
Ultimately, Upadhyaya stated, “Lambert’s blatant disregard for this Court and her obligations is unending,” concluding that her disqualification was imperative to maintain the integrity of the case.
In her comments to The Washington Post, Lambert mentioned that Byrne plans to appeal the judge’s decision. She was arrested in March during a hearing related to the Byrne lawsuit after missing a court date for her criminal case, which is set to go to trial in October. Lambert is also facing additional charges in Michigan over her attempts to access voting machine data.