Capitol attack panel obtains PowerPoint that set out program for Trump to stage coup | US Capitol assault

The fact that Meadows was in possession of a PowerPoint the working day right before the Capitol attack that in-depth approaches to stage a coup indicates he was at least knowledgeable of initiatives by Trump and his allies to cease Joe Biden’s certification from using put on 6 January.

The PowerPoint, titled “Election Fraud, Overseas Interference & Choices for 6 Jan”, designed various tips for Trump to pursue in buy to retain the presidency for a 2nd time period on the foundation of lies and debunked conspiracies about widespread election fraud.

Meadows turned in excess of a version of the PowerPoint presentation that he received in an electronic mail and spanned 38 pages, according to a source familiar with the make a difference.

The Guardian reviewed a next, 36-site version of the PowerPoint marked for dissemination with 5 January metadata, which experienced some differences with what the find committee acquired. But the title of the PowerPoint and its suggestions remained the very same, the supply stated.

Senators and customers of Congress should really first be briefed about foreign interference, the PowerPoint explained, at which position Trump could declare a national crisis, declare all electronic voting invalid, and request Congress to agree on a constitutionally appropriate cure.

The PowerPoint also outlined a few solutions for then vice-president Mike Pence to abuse his mainly ceremonial role at the joint session of Congress on 6 January, when Biden was to be licensed president, and unilaterally return Trump to the White Dwelling.

Pence could pursue just one of 3 choices, the PowerPoint reported: seat Trump slates of electors around the objections of Democrats in key states, reject the Biden slates of electors, or hold off the certification to allow for a “vetting” and counting of only “legal paper ballots”.

The closing solution for Pence is equivalent to an solution that was concurrently remaining highly developed on 4 and 5 January by Trump lieutenants – led by attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, as nicely as Trump strategist Steve Bannon – performing from the Willard lodge in Washington DC.

The Guardian exposed very last week that sometime amongst the late night of 5 January and the early several hours of 6 January, just after Pence declined to go in advance with this kind of ideas, Trump then pressed his lieutenants about how to end Biden’s certification from using position fully.

The suggestions in the PowerPoint for equally Trump and Pence ended up based on wild and unsubstantiated statements of election fraud, together with that “the Chinese systematically attained command more than our election system” in eight critical battleground states.

The then performing legal professional standard, Jeff Rosen, and his predecessor, Invoice Barr, who experienced each been appointed by Trump, by 5 January had now identified that there was no evidence of voter fraud ample to transform the consequence of the 2020 election.

House investigators stated that they turned knowledgeable of the PowerPoint immediately after it surfaced in extra than 6,000 files Meadows turned over to the find committee. The PowerPoint was to be offered “on the Hill”, a reference to Congress, the panel stated.

The PowerPoint was offered on 4 January to a range of Republican senators and customers of Congress, the source reported. Trump’s attorneys doing the job at the Willard hotel were not demonstrated the presentation, according to a resource familiar with the make any difference.

But the pick committee explained they did uncover in the resources turned over by Meadows, his text messages with a member of Congress, who instructed Meadows about a “highly controversial” plan to deliver slates of electors for Trump to the joint session of Congress.

Meadows replied: “I love it.”

Trump’s former White Residence main of team had turned around the materials to the decide on committee right up until the cooperation offer broke down on Tuesday, when Meadows’ attorney, Terwilliger, abruptly advised Residence investigators that Meadows would no lengthier assistance the investigation.

The decide on committee introduced on Wednesday that in response, it would refer Meadows for criminal prosecution for defying a subpoena. The chairman of the choose committee, Bennie Thompson, explained the vote to maintain Meadows in contempt of Congress would arrive upcoming 7 days.

“The select committee will meet up with subsequent 7 days to advance a report recommending that the Home cite Mr Meadows for contempt of Congress and refer him to the Section of Justice for prosecution,” Thompson reported in a assertion.