DOJ directly probing Trump's actions in plot to overturn 2020 election in criminal investigation: report

On Tuesday, The Washington Postreported that the Justice Department is now focusing in on the actions of former President Donald Trump in the plot to throw out the results of the 2020 presidential election.

"Prosecutors who are questioning witnesses before a grand jury — including two top aides to Vice President Mike Pence — have asked in recent days about conversations with Trump, his lawyers, and others in his inner circle who sought to substitute Trump allies for certified electors from some states Joe Biden won, according to two people familiar with the matter," reported Carol Leonnig, Devlin Barrett, Josh Dawsey and Spencer Hsu. "Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation."

"The prosecutors have asked hours of detailed questions about meetings Trump led in December 2020 and January 2021; his pressure campaign on Pence to overturn the election; and what instructions Trump gave his lawyers and advisers about fake electors and sending electors back to the states, the people said," the report continued. "Some of the questions focused directly on the extent of Trump’s involvement in the fake-elector effort led by his outside lawyers,including John Eastman and Rudy Giuliani, these people said."

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Eastman was the architect of an infamous memo arguing Pence could use the fake electors to throw out the real results in several close states, tipping the electoral vote to the former president.

"The Washington Post and other news organizations havepreviously written that the Justice Department is examining the conduct of Eastman, Giuliani and others in Trump’s orbit. But the degree of prosecutors’ interest in Trump’s actions has not been previously reported, nor has the review of senior Trump aides’ phone records," noted the report. "A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Justice Department spokesman and a lawyer for Meadows both declined to comment."

None of this guarantees the former president will be criminally charged. But, according to the report, the investigation is focusing on Trump's potential role in both seditious conspiracy surrounding the January 6 attack, and fraud related to the fake electors scheme.

You can read more here.

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