Proving Trump's 'willful blindness' to reality is key to ensuring his criminal prosecution: CNN legal analyst

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots has been focused intensely this week on showing that former President Donald Trump was warned by multiple officials in his campaign and administration that his claims of mass election fraud were bogus.

According to CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, there's a very good reason for doing this: Namely, it's a key element to proving Trump committed a crime.

In breaking down the potential laws Trump broke in his efforts to remain in power, Honig explained how prosecutors would have to demonstrate the twice-impeached former president showed "willful blindness" to reality as a precondition for proving he engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the United States.

"Here is the big issue, the sticking point: Did the person have knowledge or willful blindness, turn a blind eye to the truth?" he said. "That is why we're seeing the January 6 Committee make such an important point about all these people in Donald Trump's inner circle. They knew Donald Trump lost and they told him to his face he lost. They're looking at that knowledge issue."

READ MORE: Man who went on GOP lawmaker's Capitol tour caught on camera threatening lawmakers on Jan. 6

Honig also said that proving willful blindness would also be key to showing Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct an official congressional proceeding, which is a crime that the DOJ has alleged multiple Capitol rioters have committed.

Watch the video below.

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