A California judge appointed by Democrat former President Bill Clinton offered the opinion former President Donald Trump "more likely than not" attempted to obstruct Congress when he sought to contest the certification of the 2020 Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021.
"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 Jan. 6, 2021," U.S. District Court Judge David Carter ruled Monday.
The opinion was delivered in a ruling that ordered 101 personal emails from attorney John Eastman, a Trump ally, to be turned over to the House Jan. 6 select committee.
"Based on these repeated meetings and statements, the evidence shows that an agreement to enact the electoral count plan likely existed between President Trump and Dr. Eastman," the ruling added.
While Carter's ruling is an official court document, claims in the ruling have long been disputed by conservatives, including Jan. 6 "led to the deaths of several law enforcement officers."
"Dr. Eastman and President Trump launched a campaign to overturn a democratic election, an action unprecedented in American history," the ruling concluded. "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."
The only person directly killed by the storming of the Capitol, conservatives argue, was Ashli Babbitt, an unarmed U.S. veteran who was shot by a Capitol Police officer, Lt. Michael Byrd. The other deaths, including Capitol Police officers, came after the day and were ruled health-related issues, including strokes and suicides.
Republicans also argue the "public distrust in the our political process" has been eroded by the treatment of the pretrial defendants who were arrested for being in the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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