Donald Trump and his lawyer, according to a federal judge, “more likely than not” attempted to illegally obstruct Congress as part of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The ruling came from Judge David Carter who also decided 101 emails from Trump attorney John Eastman could be turned over to the January 6 committee. The New York Times writes:
The judge’s comments marked a significant breakthrough for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which had laid out in a civil filing the crimes it believed Mr. Trump might have committed as it weighs making a criminal referral to the Justice Department.
“The illegality of the plan was obvious,” wrote Judge David O. Carter of the Central District of California. “Our nation was founded on the peaceful transition of power, epitomized by George Washington laying down his sword to make way for democratic elections. Ignoring this history, President Trump vigorously campaigned for the vice president to single-handedly determine the results of the 2020 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.”
U.S. District Judge David Carter
Politico writes that the ruling ”may be the first in history in which a federal judge determined a president, while in office, appeared to commit a crime.”
In his extraordinary opinion, Judge Carter wrote: “Dr. Eastman and President Trump launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history. Their campaign was not confined to the ivory tower — it was a coup in search of a legal theory. The plan spurred violent attacks on the seat of our nation’s government, led to the deaths of several law enforcement officers, and deepened public distrust in our political process.”