Federal Judge Finds Trump Most Likely to Have Committed Crimes During 2020 Election
In a civil case, the judge stated that “the illegality of this plan was obvious.” Separately, two former Trump aides were charged with contempt of Congress by the Jan. 6 panel.
WASHINGTON — On Monday, a federal judge ruled that Donald J. Trump and the lawyer who advised him on how to reverse the 2020 election had likely committed felonies. These include obstruction of Congress work and conspiring to defraud America.
The House committee investigating Jan. 6’s attack on Capitol was able to make a major breakthrough with the judge’s comments in the civil case against John Eastman. To identify the crimes Mr. Trump may have committed, the committee is considering referring the matter to the Justice Department.
Trump has not been accused of any crime and the judge’s decision had no practical, immediate legal impact on him. It ratified, however, the argument of the committee that Mr. Trump’s attempts to stop Congress from certifying Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Electoral College win could rise to the level of criminal conspiracy.
Judge David O. Carter of the Central District of California stated that the plan’s illegality was evident. “Our nation was founded upon peaceful transitions of power, as demonstrated by George Washington’s willingness to give up his sword in order to allow for democratic elections. Trump ignored this history and vigorously campaigned to have the results of 2020’s election determined by the vice president.
Judge Carter found that the actions of Mr. Trump, Mr. Eastman was “a coup in pursuit of a legal theory.”
While the Justice Department has been investigating the Capitol assault in-depth, it has not made any public statements that it is looking into a criminal case against Donald Trump. An Attorney General Merrick B. Grland could be referred to criminal court by the House committee.
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