Justin J. Pearson and Justin Jones, whom Republicans expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives last week, have lawyered up.

Former United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., now with Covington & Burling LLP, is representing Jones, as are C. William Phillips and R. Gregory Rubio.

Pearson is represented by Memphis-based Scott J. Crosby, Jef Feibelman and Sarah E. Stuart of Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC. 

Shelby County Commission could reappoint Pearson Wednesday

In a letter to House Speaker Cameron Sexton on Monday, April 10, Holder and Crosby wrote that they are not challenging the lawmakers’ expulsion, but demanding that they be treated as full members if they are reappointed by their respective county commissions.

“We write today not to address these violations of the Representatives’ rights, the subversion of due process, the suppression of the their (sic) freedoms of assembly and speech, the oppression of their liberty to dissent, nor their unequal and discriminatory treatment,” they wrote.

“Rather, we write to emphasize that the House must not now compound its errors by taking any further retributive actions against Representatives Jones and Pearson or their constituents in violation of Article II of the Tennessee Constitution, the very constitutional basis wrongly used to expel the Representatives.”

Pearson posted the letter to Twitter on Monday afternoon.

Many members of the Nashville Metro Council and the Shelby County Commission have said they would vote to reappoint them to the state House in the coming days.

Holder and Crosby demanded that Sexton grant them the same benefits as other members, including parking and badge access to legislative buildings as well as committee assignments.

Pearson, whose official swearing-in ceremony was March 27, had not been assigned to any committees.

The Daily Memphian texted Pearson to ask how they were able to get Holder involved.

Pearson responded, “Because God is real.”