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Thought I’d pull on that evidentiary thread about that email talking about the “fake electors plan,” recently in the news. I’m kind of surprised where that ‘plan unraveling’ led.
There seems to be some significant evidence of former Bossman, being directly involved in the scheme, via his “close aide and advisor” Boris Epshteyn — and smarmy Sinclair network shill too.
You learn something new everyday, I guess — if you’re lucky.
Advocates for Arizona's 'fake electors' plan had legal doubts, new report finds
by Ronald J. Hansen, Arizona Republic — July 26, 2022
[...]
“We would just be sending in ‘fake’ electoral votes to Pence so that ‘someone’ in Congress can make an objection when they start counting votes, and start arguing that the ‘fake’ votes should be counted,” wrote Jack Wilenchik, a Phoenix lawyer who helped convene the Trump electors for Arizona.
The Dec. 8, 2020, email went to Boris Epshteyn, an adviser to Trump's campaign who served as a bridge between the Trump campaign and John Eastman, a California law professor who helped devise the legal strategy.
In a follow-up email, Wilenchik wrote that “‘alternative’ votes is probably a better term than ‘fake’ votes,” the Times reported Tuesday.
Wilenchik also seemed to acknowledge in an email that they should submit the fake electors "even though the votes aren't legal under federal law — because they're not signed by the governor."
[...]
Every complicated multi-pronged “not legal” scheme needs a middle-man/fall-guy, to co-ordinate all the players. Stepping up to the challenge was MAGA-world climber, Boris Epshteyn.
‘Kind of wild/creative’: Emails shed light on Trump fake electors plan
by Luke Broadwater and Maggie Haberman, New York Times -- July 26, 2022
via seattletimes.com
[...]
The emails show that participants in the discussions reported details of their activities to Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, and in at least one case to Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff. Around the same time, according to the House committee investigating Jan. 6, Meadows emailed another campaign adviser saying, “We just need to have someone coordinating the electors for states.”
Many of the emails went to [Boris] Epshteyn, who was acting as a coordinator for people inside and outside the Trump campaign and the White House and remains a close aide to Trump.
[...]
Epshteyn not only fielded and passed along to Giuliani the detailed proposal for Jan. 6 prepared by Eastman; he also handled questions about how to pay Eastman and made the arrangements for him to visit the White House on Jan. 4, 2021, the emails show.
That was the day of the Oval Office meeting in which Trump and Eastman unsuccessfully pressured Pence to adopt the plan — an exchange witnessed by Pence’s two top aides, Marc Short and Greg Jacob, both of whom testified last week to the federal grand jury investigating the assault on the Capitol and what led to it.
[...]
Here’s the bit that put’s Trump in the room. The euphemistically-called “Pence is a Wimp” shouting match. Or course, I’ve heard about it before — but it’s kind of stark/encouraging to see it, in this context.
(In the context of DOJ Grand Jury proceedings ...)
by Kyle Cheney, Politico -- July 25, 2022
[...]
[Marc] Short and [Greg] Jacob are two of the most significant witnesses known to face grand jury questions related to Jan. 6. Both were in key meetings on Jan. 4 and 5, 2021, as Trump attorney John Eastman worked to persuade Pence to adopt a fringe legal theory that would permit the then-vice president to single-handedly overturn the election certification on Jan. 6.
Trump was present for the Jan. 4 meeting, when Pence rejected his and Eastman’s entreaties. Short and Jacob were also both with Pence on Jan. 6 as a mob stormed the Capitol, sending them all fleeing for safety. Jacob’s email exchanges with Eastman amid the chaos have become crucial pieces of evidence for Jan. 6 investigators, showing Eastman continuing to lean on Pence and Jacob even as violence raged.
[...]
Another thread showing Epshteyn’s out-reach effort:
Rusty Bowers testified in D.C. Now he might lose his primary in Arizona
[...]
As [Arizona] House Speaker, [Rusty] Bowers, 69, has played a leading role in blocking fringe ideas from overrunning the chamber, such as preventing efforts to reverse Trump’s loss and, this year, killing a measure pushed by former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn to abolish the 2020 election results in three Arizona counties.
www.washingtonpost.com — July 28, 2022
Of course Boris Epshteyn was subpoenaed early on, for a wide variety of evidentiary inquiries.
Select Committee Subpoenas Trump Allies Involved in Attempts to Challenge or Overturn 2020 Election Results
january6th.house.gov
[...]
The Select Committee issued subpoenas for records and deposition testimony to the following individuals:
Rudolph Giuliani actively promoted claims of election fraud on behalf of the former President and sought to convince state legislators to take steps to overturn the election results. He was reportedly in contact with then-President Trump and various Members of Congress regarding strategies for delaying or overturning the results of the 2020 election.
Jenna Ellis reportedly prepared and circulated two memos purporting to analyze the constitutional authority for the Vice President to reject or delay counting electoral votes from states that had submitted alternate slates of electors.
Sidney Powell actively promoted claims of election fraud on behalf of former President Trump in litigation and public appearances.
Boris Epshteyn reportedly attended meetings at the Willard Hotel in the days leading up to January 6th and had a call with former President Trump on the morning of January 6th to discuss options to delay the certification of election results in the event of Vice President Pence’s unwillingness to deny or delay the certification.
The letters to the individuals can be found here:
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It is unclear to me if Boris ever did make an appearance before the 1/6 Select Committee. I seem to remember his mask-covered face in one of the Hearings, but am unable to verify that testimony via The-Google (assuming it did occur).
Did find this confession of sorts, though. Seem Iike Epshteyn thought it was a good idea to cop to the plan — long before the Committee got rolling.
You know that old “baffle them with B.S.” technique — a standard MAGA-world M.O.
by John Wright, Raw Story / Salon.com -- Jan 23, 2022
A former White House aide admitted Friday night on national TV that he helped organize a campaign to submit fake electoral certificates from several states that falsely claimed former president Donald Trump won the 2020 election.
Boris Epshteyn, who was subpoenaed this week by the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, told MSNBC: "Yes, I was part of the process to make sure there were alternate electors for when, as we hoped, the challenges to the seated electors would be heard and be successful."
Epshteyn went on to claim that "everything that was done was done legally, by the Trump legal team, according to the rules, and under the leadership of (Trump lawyer) Rudy Giuliani."
[...]
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Seems like the DOJ should really talk to this middle-man/fall-guy — you know, especially since he’s already admitted to co-coordinating the plot.
Call it a one-time only Get-out-of-Jail fire sale. Hurry while supplies last, Boris.
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Trump campaign senior advisor Boris Epshteyn (R), is seen in the lobby of Trump Tower, November 11, 2016 in New York City. On Friday morning, Trump tweeted that he 'has a busy day in New York' and 'will soon be making some very important decisions on the people who will be running our government.'
