PLOT UNCOVERED: Eastman email features coup play-by-play

PLOT UNCOVERED: Eastman email features coup play-by-play

Former Trump attorney John Eastman was ordered to hand over eight emails kept from the House Select committee in its investigation of the Capitol attack and one of them included proof that the Trump camp knowingly tried to overturn the election.

Communications previously turned over to the January 6 committee, including the infamous “coup memo” showed a detailed plot orchestrated by the former Chapman University professor to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into overturning or delaying the electoral count in violation of the Electoral Count Act. Testimony from Pence’s attorney Greg Jacob during the televised congressional hearings revealed Eastman knew what he was asking was against the law.

United States District Judge David Carter called the communications “possible evidence” in the criminal conspiracy to stop the certification of electoral votes and overturn then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.

Previous claims of attorney-client privilege were rejected under the “crime-fraud exception,” which makes communications related to an attempted crime exempt.

In one of the emails, Trump’s lawyers expressed concerns about submitting a false statement signed by then-President Trump, asserting that his claims of election fraud were true. According to CNN, “The Trump-signed statement was sent to court, even though the lawyers knew the allegations within weren’t sound, according to the court record.”

The emails that the committee finally has accessed include four communications between Trump attorneys that appear to indicate they knew details they submitted to courts to challenge the election were false, and four emails that reveal them discussing filing lawsuits as a way to hold off congressional certification of Trump’s electoral loss, Judge David O. Carter previously revealed.

A link to the records was sent to Congress requesting that the documents not be accessed until the Ninth Circuit had had a chance to rule on the Motion for Stay pending appeal. Eastman has asked the appeals court to order the Select Committee to return or destroy the communications.

Dozens of frivolous lawsuits were filed on Trump’s behalf, including unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud and wild conspiracy theories. Eastman is just one of the disgraced attorneys who tossed his career away to help a twice impeached failed one-term President stage a coup.

Evidence of his complicity is well documented, increasing the likelihood Eastman may soon see accountability for his role in destroying faith in democracy.

Original reporting by Katelyn Polantz at CNN.

Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick

Ty Ross

News journalist for Washington Press and Occupy Democrats.