REVEALED: Trump pressured AG Bill Barr's replacement Jeffrey Rosen to probe voter fraud and chief of staff Mark Meadows pushed theory Italy used satellites to move votes to Biden
- Newly released emails show former President Trump and his top allies bringing the president's claims of election fraud to top Justice Department officials
- Trump was seeking to stay in power and overturn election results
- Trump aide wrote to Bill Barr's replacement Jeffrey Rosen an hour before he started urging him to probe voter fraud claims
- Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pushed theory of Italian vote-rigging in U.S.
- He claimed Italy was using military satellites to move Trump votes to Biden
- Trump pushed legal brief to have Supreme Court overturn vote in six states
- He also considered firing Rosen and replacing him with former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, who supported his voter fraud claims
Former President Donald Trump and his top aides repeatedly pushed the president's claims of election fraud in emails to top Justice Department officials in the final days of his presidency, a tranche of documents released by House Democrats on Tuesday revealed.
One such push came just an hour before Trump announced attorney general Bill Barr was stepping down from his post and Jeffrey Rosen would be taking over.
Then acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue described one claim pushed by Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows that Italy was using military satellites to move votes to Joe Biden as 'pure insanity.'
The pressure campaign, which came before and after the New Year and before Congress met to count the electoral votes on January 6th, came as Trump repeated his claims of a stolen election.
Trump and his allies sought to keep him in power through recounts, audits, and 'kraken' lawsuits.
The former president also used his inner circle to try and pressure the Supreme Court to overturn the vote count in six states.
President Donald Trump and his top aides pushed voter fraud claims in Trump
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark meadows wrote DOJ official Jeffrey Rosen pushing an allegation of fraud in Georgia
One top DOJ official, Richard Donoghue, described the idea of election fraud being run out of Italy to Jeffrey Rosen, who was to be acting attorney general, as 'pure insanity'
Some of the claims had already been or were soon to be tossed out of court in lawsuits claiming fraud.
The repeat pressure is included in emails released Tuesday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which is probing the Jan. 6th riot and related issues.
In one email, on Dec. 30, 2020, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows emailed Rosen a translated document from an individual in Italy claiming 'direct knowledge' of a plot being allegedly coordinated with the CIA with data put on 'military satellites,' according to one example highlighted by the House Oversight Committee.
It was a reference to Brad Johnson - a former CIA employee who claimed he could prove the outlandish theory.
Trump pressured AG Bill Barr's replacement Jeffrey Rosen (left) to investigate voter fraud theories an hour before he started his new position. Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows pushed a theory that Italy was using satellites to move votes to Biden. Democrats have called for Meadows to testify to Congress about the push in the final days of Trump's presidency
It all confirmed that Trump was 'clearly the winner,' according to the claim. Meadows even sent a YouTube link outlining the conspiracy.
Rosen forwarded the information to another DOJ official, Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue – but it didn't go over as intended.
Donoghue then called the idea 'Pure insanity.' Rosen wrote back that he was asked to have the FBI meet with Johnson, saying he 'is working with Rudy Giuliani.' But he refused.
Oversight and Reform Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said: 'These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation's chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost'
Rosen wrote that he wouldn't to go along with the Meadows Italian campaign.
'I flatly refused, said I would not be giving any special treatment to Giuliani or any of his 'witnesses,' he wrote in reference to the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who was spearheading the fraud claims in a note to Donoghue.
Justice Department policies argue against White House interference in particular investigations in order to guard against abuse of power.
Trump himself appeared to get in on the action. On Dec. 14th, a key day in electoral certification, his White House assistant sent out a 'From POTUS' email to Rosen.
It forwarded voter fraud claims about Antrim County, Michigan and said 'a Cover-up is Happening regarding the voting machines in Michigan.; It added that 'Michigan cannot certify for Biden.'
On December 29th, Trump's assistant sent along a draft 54-page legal brief for the Supreme Court claiming the high court should declare that the Electoral College votes cast in six states that Trump lost 'cannot be counted' – effectively handing the presidency to Trump. That came amid a lawsuit by the Texas attorney general seeking to overturn election results, although the Supreme Court never took the case.
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Private lawyer Kurt Olsen also reached out to top DOJ officials, including Rosen's chief of staff, to say Trump 'directed me last night to brief AG Rosen in person today and discuss bringing this action. I have been instructed to report back to the President this afternoon after this meeting.'
Said Oversight and Reform Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): 'These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation's chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost.'
'Those who aided or witnessed President Trump's unlawful actions must answer the Committee's questions about this attempted subversion of democracy. My Committee is committed to ensuring that the events leading to the violent January 6 insurrection are fully investigated.'
TRUMP SENT 'BOGUS' FRAUD CLAIMS TO TOP DOJ OFFICIALS AND PUSHED BID FOR SCOTUS TO OVERTURN RESULT: THE HOUSE COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS IN FULL
President Trump Sent Bogus Election Fraud Claims to Top DOJ Officials Minutes Before Announcing Their Promotions to the Top Two Spots in the Department
On December 14, 2020—the day electors in each state certified the Electoral College votes—President Trump's White House Assistant sent an email with the subject 'From POTUS' to then-Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. The email attached materials about alleged voter fraud in Antrim County, Michigan, including 'talking points' that asserted, 'a Cover-up is Happening regarding the voting machines in Michigan,' and, 'Michigan cannot certify for Biden.'
Just two minutes after President Trump's assistant sent these documents to Mr. Rosen, then-Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, through his assistant, sent the same documents to the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan.
Approximately 40 minutes after sending this phony voter fraud information, President Trump tweeted that Attorney General Barr—who had said publicly that he had not seen widespread election fraud—would be stepping down, that Mr. Rosen would serve as Acting Attorney General, and that Mr. Donoghue would serve as Acting Deputy Attorney General.
Emails to top DOJ officials including Rosen in the final days of the Trump administration show requests to look into voter fraud directly from the president
President Trump Used Official White House Channels and a Private Attorney to Pressure DOJ to Urgently File a Supreme Court Lawsuit to Nullify the Election
On December 29, 2020, President Trump's White House Assistant emailed Mr. Rosen, Mr. Donoghue, and Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, attaching a draft legal brief to file in the Supreme Court. She wrote, 'The President asked me to send the attached draft document for your review,' and provided a phone number so they could contact the President directly.
The draft 54-page complaint demanded that the Supreme Court 'declare that the Electoral College votes cast' in six states that President Trump lost 'cannot be counted,' and requested that the Court order a 'special election' for president in those states.
On the very same day, a private attorney, Kurt Olsen, contacted multiple senior DOJ officials on President Trump's behalf to urge them to file this complaint. In one email to Mr. Rosen's Chief of Staff, he wrote: 'As I said on our call, the President of the United States has seen this complaint, and he directed me last night to brief AG Rosen in person today and discuss bringing this action. I have been instructed to report back to the President this afternoon after this meeting.' In a separate email to the Acting Solicitor General, Mr. Olsen added, 'This is an urgent matter.'
Emails indicate that Mr. Rosen discussed the filing with Mr. Olsen on or around December 29, 2020, and asked Mr. Olsen to send him Supreme Court precedent supporting the arguments in the complaint. Mr. Olsen previously represented Texas in its failed lawsuit to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
President Trump Enlisted Assistant AG Jeffrey Clark in an Attempt to Advance Election Fraud Claims
Emails confirm that on December 31, 2020, and January 3, 2021, President Trump met with Mr. Rosen, then-Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, and other DOJ officials. During these meetings, President Trump reportedly pressured them to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
On January 1, 2021, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows directed Mr. Rosen to have Mr. Clark look into 'signature match anomalies in Fulton county, GA.' Later that day, Mr. Rosen sent Mr. Clark the cell phone number of then-U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Byung J. Pak with the subject line 'atlanta.' That day, Mr. Clark also emailed Dustin Carmack, Chief of Staff to the Director of National Intelligence, to request a call.
On January 2, 2021, Mr. Rosen followed up with Mr. Clark regarding his call with Mr. Pak. Mr. Clark replied, 'I spoke to the source and am on with the guy who took the video right now. Working on it. More due diligence to do.' Later that day, President Trump referred to Mr. Pak as a 'never-Trumper U.S. Attorney' while discussing two videos purporting to show fraudulent votes in Fulton County with Georgia Secretary of Secretary Brad Raffensberger.
The January 3 meeting was described in press reports as an 'Apprentice'-like battle during which President Trump considered 'whether to fire Mr. Rosen and replace him with Mr. Clark' who was sympathetic to the President's election fraud claims. After the meeting, Associate Deputy Attorney General Patrick Hovakimian reported to his colleagues: 'it sounds like Rosen and the cause of justice won.'
Later that evening, Mr. Donoghue emailed Mr. Pak with the subject line 'Please call ASAP.' Mr. Pak resigned less than 10 hours later, reportedly under pressure from the Trump White House.
Donoghue said 'can you believe this? I am not going to respond' when he was forwarded claims of signature 'mismatches' in Fulton County, Georgia
The White House Chief of Staff Pressured DOJ to Investigate Conspiracy Theories At Least Fives Times - including claims Italy was using satellites to move votes to Biden
Newly released documents substantiate recent reports that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pressured DOJ officials—on at least five occasions—to investigate baseless claims of election fraud or put pressure on other officials to pursue these claims.
On December 30, 2020, Mr. Meadows forwarded Mr. Rosen an email from Cleta Mitchell, a Trump advisor who later participated in a January phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During that call, President Trump reportedly asked Georgia election officials to 'find' enough votes to declare him the winner of the state. The December 30 email contained allegations of 'video issues in Fulton County.' Mr. Meadows wrote to Mr. Rosen: 'Can you have your team look into these allegations of wrongdoing. Only the alleged fraudulent activity.'
Later on December 30, 2020, Mr. Meadows emailed Mr. Rosen a translation of a document from an individual in Italy claiming to have 'direct knowledge' of a plot by which American electoral data was changed in Italian facilities 'in coordination with senior US intelligence officials (CIA)' and loaded onto 'military satellites.'
This individual claimed that the true data, as well as sources within the conservative wing of the Italian secret service, confirmed that Donald Trump was 'clearly the winner' of the 2020 election.
On January 1, 2021, Mr. Meadows emailed Mr. Rosen on three separate occasions to provide unsubstantiated claims about election fraud or ask him to take direct action to change the results:
At 3:08 p.m., Mr. Meadows sent Mr. Rosen a YouTube link referencing the Italy conspiracy, labeled 'Brad Johnson: Rome, Satellites, Servers: an Update.' Mr. Rosen forwarded the email to Mr. Donoghue, who responded: 'Pure insanity.'
Mr. Rosen explained to Mr. Donoghue that after receiving the message, he was asked to have the FBI meet with Brad Johnson, who Mr. Rosen learned 'is working with Rudy Giuliani.' Mr. Rosen said he refused the request.
At 4:13 p.m., Mr. Meadows sent another email to Mr. Rosen, writing: 'There have been allegations of signature match anomalies in Fulton county, Ga. Can you get Jeff Clark to engage on this issue immediately to determine if there is any truth to this allegation.' Mr. Rosen forwarded this email to Mr. Donoghue with the comment: 'Can you believe this? I am not going to respond to the message below.'
At 6:56 p.m., Mr. Meadows forwarded Mr. Rosen a document alleging voting irregularities and problems with Dominion machines in New Mexico and asking Mr. Rosen for his 'team to review the allegations contained herein.'
