Trump was involved in a 'criminal conspiracy,' as per a committee formed on Jan 6th
Key Takeaways:
- According to a US House committee, former President Donald Trump allegedly engaged in a "criminal conspiracy" a US House committee.
- The claim was made in response to a lawsuit filed by John Eastman, a lawyer, and Trump adviser.
According to a US House committee, former President Trump allegedly engaged in a "criminal conspiracy" a US House committee. The claim detailed an attempt to prevent Biden's victory from being certified.
Former President Donald Trump and his associates engaged in a "criminal conspiracy" to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election, as per the US congressional committee investigating the Capitol insurgency. According to the filing, Trump attempted to postpone the 2020 election results' certification to "manipulate" the results.
The allegation was made in response to a lawsuit filed by John Eastman, a lawyer, and Trump adviser at the time. As Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election, Eastman consulted with him.
Eastman has filed a lawsuit to keep documents from the January 6 committee.
What is contained in the committee's January 6 filing?
"We also have a good-faith basis for concluding that the President and members of his Campaign conspired to defraud the United States," the committee wrote in a 221-page filing to the US District Court within Central District of California on January 6.
"The proof supports an inference that President Trump, as well as members of his campaign, knew they didn't have enough legitimate state electoral votes to be declared the winner of the 2020 Presidential election throughout the Joint Session of Congress on January 6. However, the President still sought to rig the results in his favor using the Vice President," according to the filing.
The committee filing on January 6 is the most formal attempt to link Trump to a criminal conspiracy to date.
The filing aimed to disprove Eastman's claims of attorney-client privilege in his attempt to keep documents from the committee on January 6.
What is the significance of the filing?
The US Department of Justice has charged hundreds of people with various offenses for their roles in the US Capitol riot, but no indication has been given to whether Trump will be charged.
The committee is unable to bring criminal charges against individuals.
"The Select Committee is not undertaking a criminal investigation," Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said in a statement.
However, as the Department of Justice considers its options, the filing could be significant.
Interviews with several senior Trump aides, including Marc Short, former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, are mentioned in the filing.