Former lawmaker disbarred
The state Supreme Court noted in a tersely worded order Monday former legislator Jesse White has been disbarred on his own consent after allegations surfaced that he misappropriated over $100,000 with which clients entrusted him.
White, 39, who practiced law in Cecil Township, tendered his unconditional and voluntary resignation from practicing law in Pennsylvania. He also remains on suspension by court order dated March 15.
He retained legal counsel, not identified in online court documents, and acted upon an attorney’s advice, according to a filing earlier this month with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
White acknowledged the allegations against him that he misappropriated $105,343 five clients entrusted to him in 2015 and 2016.
The Supreme Court also ordered him to pay costs to the disciplinary board.
White has retained, consulted with and acted upon the advice of counsel in his resignation, according to the case file, but it does not name his attorney.
In March, when an order from the state Supreme Court panel ordered that White be placed on emergency temporary suspension over allegations that he breached rules of conduct, White was represented by Pittsburgh attorney Amy J. Coco, who states on her firm’s website that she focuses her practice on defending professional liability claims against lawyers, insurance agents and real estate professionals. Coco in March sought to block the temporary suspension because her client had “sought help for a pathological gambling addiction” and placed himself on a list for exclusion from state casinos. She did not immediately return messages for comment.
White submitted his resignation “because he knows that he could not successfully defend himself against the charges of professional misconduct set forth,” according to a filing made available online which bears his signature. A disbarred attorney can apply for reinstatement of his license to practice law from one to five years.
In response to a request for comment, White referred to a May 11 blog post in which he wrote, in part, “Our plan is to move away and restart our life the right way, far removed from the toxic environment created by the combination of a dysfunctional family and childish politics… The challenge now is figuring out where that place might be. I love this community and the people I have been fortunate to call clients, constituents and most of all, friends. But there are too many toxic elements present for my family and me to continue here. It’s no secret I made enemies during my time in politics who have gone to extraordinary measures to attack at every possible opportunity, even after I left public office…
“It’s no secret I’ve been under some serious pressure over the past few years. I did my best to navigate the obstacles thrown my way, but I undeniably showed poor judgment in how I handled some of them, and late last year, things started to collapse.”
White was admitted to the bar in 2003. A Democrat, he was elected to the legislature from the 46th District in 2006, serving until just after he was defeated in 2014 by Republican Jason Ortitay.