Former President Donald Trump received a string of bad sentences Monday when a New York judge demanded that his family business stop handing over evidence in his banking and insurance fraud case.
Earlier Monday, a federal judge from California ruled that Trump “most likely” committed obstruction by attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
In the case, from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, Judge Arthur F. Engoron ordered digital forensics firm HaystackID, which already helps the Trump Organization identify evidence, to be more accommodating.
“I don’t just want a little more meat. I want specific information about these searches. I want detailed reports. We’re dropping this whole investigation. We want this to end eventually for numerous reasons,” Engoron told attorneys on both sides of the case, according to The Daily Beast.
The company’s auditor was told by Engoron that he would have to start producing weekly detailed reports and end the evidence search at the end of April when a “toll deal” that stopped the six-year statute of limitations clock expires.
Earlier in the day, California-based US District Court Judge David Carter wrote, “Based on the evidence, the court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress.” .”
Former President Donald Trump received a string of bad sentences Monday when a New York judge demanded that his family business stop handing over evidence in his banking and insurance fraud case
The ruling added that Trump and his legal adviser, John Eastman, had “dishonestly conspired” to do so.
Carter made the decision in a ruling ordering that 101 sensitive emails from Eastman be turned over to the House Inquiry Committee on Jan. 6.
He ruled that 10 emails should remain privileged, none of which were “key” to the investigation.
Carter announced earlier this month that he would review the emails regarding the 2020 Eastman-Trump election before determining whether they are protected by attorney-client privilege or should be turned over to committee. The committee at the time had already accused Trump and Eastman of taking part in a “criminal conspiracy”.
Eastman conceded that if the judge agrees with the committee’s assessment, “this could be the first formal finding of presidential criminality by a federal court in the history of the United States.”
Neither Trump nor Eastman have been charged with a Jan. 6-related crime.
The ruling doesn’t play a direct role in whether Trump faces criminal charges, but it could increase pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to conduct aggressive investigations that could lead to such indictments.
Eastman was behind the infamous “coup memo,” which argued that former Vice President Mike Pence unilaterally had the power to reverse Trump’s defeat to overturn the election.
John Eastman, above, was behind the infamous “coup memo,” which argued that former Vice President Mike Pence unilaterally had the power to reverse Trump’s loss to overturn the election
The emails in question originated from Eastman’s account at Chapman University between January 4 and January 7, 2021. Eastman was formerly employed by Chapman.
The illegality of the plan was obvious. Our nation was founded on the peaceful transition of power embodied in George Washington, who laid down his sword to make way for democratic elections… With a plan so “brave,” President Trump knowingly attempted to undermine that fundamental principle. Based on the evidence, the court finds it highly likely that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the Jan. 6, 2021 joint session of Congress.
Carter quoted Trump’s remarks at the Save America rally in Monday’s decision, where he said, “Mike Pence, I hope you will stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. And if not, I will be very disappointed in you. I’ll tell you right away.’ He also cited a passage where Trump said: “[L]let’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue” to give Vice President Pence and Congress “the pride and boldness they need to take back our country.”
“Taken together, these actions most likely constitute attempts to obstruct an official process,” the court documents said.
Carter also ruled that Trump had acted “corruptly” because he “probably knew the plan to disrupt the election count was wrong.”
“President Trump and Dr. Eastman justified the plan with allegations of voter fraud — but President Trump likely knew the justification was unfounded and therefore the entire plan was unlawful.”
Carter acknowledged that Eastman advised Trump that the Electoral Count Act, the law of 1887 governing the counting and certification of electoral votes, was unconstitutional.
However, Carter said that conviction did not authorize Trump to defy the law or to pressure Pence to circumvent it.
“Believing that the Electoral Count Act was unconstitutional gave President Trump no license to violate it,” Carter wrote. “Disagreement with the law entitled President Trump to seek a legal remedy in court, not to interfere with a constitutionally required process. And President Trump knew how to enforce election lawsuits in court—after filing and losing more than sixty lawsuits, this plan was a last-ditch effort to secure the presidency by any means necessary.
Eastman could seek to appeal the decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court.
According to a Feb. 14 court filing, Eastman has already turned over more than 8,000 pages of email to the committee.
The former law professor is also trying to use executive branch privilege to protect more than 10,000 documents after failing to block a subpoena for 94,000 pages of email.
Eastman had appeared alongside Rudy Giuliani at Trump’s “Stop The Steal” rally just before the Capitol riot, where Giuliani infamously called for a “trial by combat” over the election.
He was subpoenaed by the House panel late last year for playing a key role in shaping the ex-president’s legal strategy, which claimed former Vice President Mike Pence had the power to uniquely overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory .
The formal request for nearly 100,000 pages of online correspondence was sent to Chapman University, where Eastman used to work. He was also asked to testify himself.
Eastman had unsuccessfully sued to block the release of the documents, citing attorney-client privilege. Instead, in late January, Carter ordered Eastman to check 1,500 pages a day to list his privileges.