Citing the “obvious” illegality of attorney and adviser John Eastman’s plans to disrupt the transfer of power in wake of the 2020 election, a federal judge on Monday determined that former President Donald Trump probably committed a felony crime in his desperate attempt to remain in office after losing to Joe Biden.
“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 Jan. 6, 2021,” Judge David Carter, a district judge for the Central District of California, wrote in a ruling ordering Eastman — the attorney who spearheaded Trump’s effort to subvert the election results — to turn over more than 100 emails to the congressional select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill. Carter’s determination that Trump likely committed crimes as part of his work with Eastman essentially nullified Eastman’s attempt to shield his communications from the committee by claiming they were covered by attorney-client privilege. Carter found that just 10 of the dozens of emails in question met that privilege standard.
