A former Trump official admitted he helped Rudy Giuliani with the fake electors scheme
Business Insider
1/23/2022
© MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
A November 19, 2020 photo shows the personal lawyer of US President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, speaking at a press conference watched by Trump campaign advisor Boris Epshteyn (R), at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
- Republicans in seven states tried to falsely certify the election in favor of Donald Trump.
- On Friday, Boris Epshteyn, a Trump adviser, told MSNBC he helped with the fake electors scheme.
- Epshteyn, alongside Rudy Giuliani, was subpoenaed by the January 6 House select committee last week.
A former Trump campaign adviser admitted to playing a role in a scheme to have illegitimate pro-Trump supporters falsely certify the election for him in seven states won by President Joe Biden.
MSNBC host Ari Melber asked Boris Epshteyn on Friday if he ever worked on or supported the elector scheme.
"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 would be successful," Epshteyn said.
On Thursday The Washington Post reported that Epshteyn said he'd participated in conference calls with members of Trump's legal team, including Rudy Giuliani, to discuss the electors.
The Post and CNN reported on Thursday that members of Trump's inner circle, led by Giuliani, coordinated the scheme.
Video: GOP fake elector scheme shows new level of disrespect for U.S. voters: election official (MSNBC)
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The illegitimate electors' plan had Trump supporters in seven states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – submit documents to Congress falsely claiming Trump won the states despite the majority of votes actually going to Joe Biden, according to documents obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight in March 2021.
That plan was included in a six-page memo written by attorney John Eastman detailing a plan for overturning the 2020 election.
During his interview with Melber, Epshteyn continued to make false claims about election fraud. He also said he did everything legally, citing Hawaii in the 1960 presidential election as a "precedent" for "alternate" electors being used.
CNN reported that in that election, however, Richard Nixon initially had a lead on John F. Kennedy by 141 votes (a narrow margin compared to any state in this previous election). After a legal recount, Nixon lost, and the multiple panels of electors were due to the state changing the outcome following the recount.
"So, Ari, everything that was done was done legally by the Trump legal team, according to the rules, and under the leadership of Rudy Giuliani," Epshteyn said.
Epshteyn, alongside Guiliani and Trump associates Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis were subpoenaed by the January 6 House select committee this week.
Additionally, several attorneys general from the seven states with illegitimate electors say they're pursuing investigations and charges.
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