Jack Smith is seeking evidence of 'big grift' from Trump's stolen election claims: Jan. 6 investigator
The lead investigator for the House Select Committee that's investigating attempts to overthrow the 2020 election result thinks special counsel Jack Smith is now examining attempts to make money off the fraud.
Speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday, Tim Heaphy related suspected financial dealings based on claims that the election was stolen to an operation that was selling snake oil.
"He's looking for more evidence of the big grift," he explained. "We laid this out in great detail during one or more of our hearings and it is outlined in the report. A lot of people were profiting from this false narrative that the election was stolen. Save America PAC raised $250 million after the election by telling people that the election was stolen. Sidney Powell set up a nonprofit and legal defense fund in which those same lies led to a lot of people giving money."
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Wallace played a clip of the House committee's hearing showing screen captures of over 25 email solicitations that the Trump campaign sent out in a single day. There was also an America First Foundation, which raised money and has hired many of the former Trump staff.
"Again, it is important to remember that there is just no foundation in any of those fund-raising solicitations," said Heaphy. "So, Jack Smith is understandably interested in that because it could be a fraud scheme, right, telling people as a basis to raise money that facts that are just simply not appropriate and it is part of a broader plan to disrupt the joint session."
Wallace asked what the potential criminal exposure is for raising funds off of false pretenses. She specifically cited possible wire fraud. He agreed but specified a scheme to defraud.
"If somebody says, 'If you drink this potion, you'll lose weight.' And people buy the potion, relying upon that representation, that's fraud, right?" Heaphy explained.
"If somebody says, 'If you give me money, I'll use it to do the following: I'll give it to refugee resettlement in our community.' But you don't use it for refugee resettlement, you use it for other purposes beyond that which you indicated. That is fraud. Wire fraud, mail fraud are crimes that broadly criminalize any scheme that is meant to deprive people of their money based on deception, based on falsity. That's one of the many things that the special counsel may very well be looking at here."
He also said that this part of the probe is still considered "active."
"Just because an indictment is issued does not mean that everybody stops and the record is complete, right?' he explained. "The special counsel is continuing to gather facts. It is tricky because he wants a speedy trial and if there is a superseding indictment or additional counts against the former president, it jeopardizes that March 4th trial date. This could mean something that will come about if it ripens into evidence of control conduct, which it very well may, to other charges against other people."
He noted that Trump was the suspected head of the conspiracy, but there are many others that have not yet been federally charged, so Smith is persisting.
See the full conversation in the video below or at the link here.
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