Former United States President Donald Trump was revealed to have attempted to enlist the support of top U.S. law enforcement officials to drive a conspiracy campaign to overturn his 2020 election defeat against then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Between December 2020 and January 2021, the documents revealed the Republican, supported by his allies, attempted to push conspiracy theories to maintain his position as president of the United States. Many justice department officials struggled to resist Trump's efforts.
The emails disclosed how Trump tried to enlist the help of the country's chief law enforcement agency to further his own agendas, Chair of the House of Representatives' Oversight Committee, Carolyn Maloney, said.
Desperate Attempts
Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, ordered justice department officials at least five times to investigate false allegations of voter fraud. The analysis included a conspiracy theory called "Italygate," which claims the European region helped tweak the electoral data by using military satellites while the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was aware of the process.
Jeffrey Rosen was given a YouTube video link by Meadows on January 1 which detailed the conspiracy theory. The email was later forwarded to Richard Donoghue, the then acting deputy attorney general, who said it was "pure insanity," The Guardian reported.
Additionally, the emails showed how Rosen faced mounting pressure from the White House. The efforts of the Republican former president came as he replaced Attorney General William Barr, who previously said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
The emails showed that Trump's assistant sent Rosen and Donoghue on December 14, 2020, a document that claimed there was voter fraud in Antrim County, Michigan. One of Donoghue's aides sent the document to the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts in Michigan.
An hour after the documents were sent, Trump posted on social media that he was removing Barr from his position with the Justice Department before Christmas in 2020. The Republican announced he would put Rosen and Donoghue at the top positions of the DOJ.
Pushing Conspiracy Theories
Rosen said he did not speak to Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani when the legal expert made false claims about voter fraud during the 2020 elections. Rosen told Donoghue he refused to be part of the efforts and did not provide special treatment to Giuliani or any of his so-called "witnesses," CNN reported.
The House Oversight Committee revealed the emails on Tuesday and showcased Trump's desperate attempt to reverse Biden's election win with the help of top White House officials. The documents revealed Meadows' repeated attempts at trying to coerce Justice Department officials to support Trump's efforts.
Until now, the Republican continues to claim he lost the election due to voter fraud and that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidency, calling the electoral race "rigged" and how the Democrat stole it from him. His statements come amid nonpartisan election and cybersecurity experts saying the last election was the safest and most secure in the history of the United States, Business Insider reported.
