WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday asserted it is “more likely than not” that former President Donald Trump committed crimes in his attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election, ruling to order the release of more than 100 emails from Trump adviser John Eastman to the committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge David Carter marked a major legal win for the House panel as it looks to correspondence from Eastman, the lawyer who was consulting with Trump as he attempted to overturn the presidential election.
“Based on the evidence, the Court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” Carter, who was nominated by former President Bill Clinton, wrote in the ruling submitted in the federal Central District of California.
Eastman was trying to withhold documents from the committee on the basis of an attorney-client privilege claim between him and the former president. The committee responded earlier this month, arguing that there is a legal exception allowing the disclosure of communications regarding ongoing or future crimes.
Charles Burnham, an attorney representing Eastman, said in a statement Monday that his client has a responsibility to his attorney-client privilege and his lawsuit against the committee “seeks to fulfill this responsibility.”
“It is not an attempt to ‘hide’ documents or ‘obstruct’ congressional investigations, as the January 6th committee falsely claims,” Burnham said.
The March 3 filing from the committee was their most formal effort to link the former president to a federal crime. Lawmakers do not have the power to bring criminal charges on their own and can only make a referral to the Justice Department. The department has been investigating last year’s riot, but it has not given any indication that it is considering seeking charges against Trump.
The committee argued in the court documents that Trump and his associates engaged in a “criminal conspiracy” to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College. Trump and those working with him then spread false information about the outcome of the presidential election and pressured state officials to overturn the results, potentially violating multiple federal laws, the panel said.
The trove of documents the nine-member panel has publicly released so far, which include some emails already retrieved from Eastman, offers an early look at some of the panel’s likely conclusions, which are expected to be submitted in the coming months. The committee says it has interviewed more than 650 witnesses as it investigates the violent siege by Trump supporters, the worst attack on the Capitol in more than two centuries.
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Claims a whistleblower
Claims an anonymous “witness”
Claims Adam Schiff who still hasn’t produced all of the so-called “evidence” he supposedly has
Claims practically the entire Democrat Party
Claims a number of RINOS
Claims the author of another bombshell book
Yeah—Yeah—Yeah
Why don’t you go after the Bidens for which actual evidence exists for actual crimes committed?
BECAUSE DEMS are above the law!
It’s very simple. Just release ALL of the videos from January 6th. Why show the very small segment of some of the boisterous few? Show the hundreds of thousands of peaceful, USA loving, moms and dad’s, brothers and sisters, gathering at the Capitol, to participate in, what the Constitution allows. Leftist baby killing Democrat’s destroy everything they touch.
How many FBI agents and informants were in the crowd? How many ANTIFA members were found to be in the crowd? We are certain you know so tell us.
Very good point.. WHY ONLY MUST Trump and his associates, be FORCED/Compelled to release XYZ??
WE STILL supposeldy have THOUSANDS OF hours of video footage, from HUNDREDS of cameras, that the govt, is WILLFULLY REFUSING TO GIVE OUT.. SO why can THEY REFUSE to hand over info, but Trumps attorney, WHO HAS A LEGAL PRECEDENT TO withhold info, can’t???
I always thought that you needed more proof than “likely”, “maybe”, or “might’ve” in our court system. Not when it comes to Trump, apparently.
Not from a liberal judge from California.
To the left, PROOF is immaterial. JUST WHAT THEY WANT counts.
That is one of the vaguest reasons reasons I’ve heard for legal action to be taken. The judge might just as easily have said, “Let’s go down to the Patomac, hire a boat, go fishing!” Wasn’t there something issuing warrents with specificity when searches and siezures are conducted?
A fine example of a judge creating law to achieve a goal.
LIike that guy in russia, who once said “SHOW me the criminal, and i will TELL YOU what crime he’s guilty of”, or something like that.