Washington Post reporter Robert Costa, who appeared for an interview Monday with Watergate sleuth Bob Woodward, his colleague and co-author of their new book Peril, says this call to advisers Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, and John Eastman raises questions regarding the extent of White House involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump's allies, who set up a so-called "command center" at the Willard, according to the Washington Post, were concentrated on finding a legal strategy to prevent or delay the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 victory, pinning their hopes on Vice President Mike Pence.
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Costa claims he was outside the hotel that night and saw Proud Boys and Oath Keepers gathered there. He suggested the call from Trump to the "command center" happened shortly after Trump and Pence had a one-on-one meeting the night of Jan. 5, when Pence informed the president that he didn't have the power to reject electoral votes. The vice president told Congress his conclusion.
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“That night was eerie because we didn't know at the time that Trump's over at the White House, pounding into Pence in the one-on-one Oval Office meeting, and then after it didn't go well for Trump, he called into the Willard war room" Costa recalled. "That it's not just a Willard war room happening in an isolated way across the street. The president is calling in, Trump's calling in.”
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“He's coordinating this effort to speak for Pence,” Costa continued. “Remember, late at night as you detailed earlier, Trump's issuing a statement saying, Pence agrees with me. He's effectively taking over the vice presidency, at least in terms of the public message. And this is all just hours before the insurrection."
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Woodward claimed he spoke to a Republican former head of the Criminal Division in the Justice Department. He indicated Trump may have violated 18 U.S. Code, section 371, which states that two or more people who work together “to commit any offense against the United States” are guilty of conspiracy .
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“I'm sorry this sounds technical, but it is a law that says it's a crime to defraud the government in any deceptive way, and that's exactly what they did here," Woodward expressed.
In June, Trump told Fox News that he and Pence maintain a "good relationship," even after the 45th president slammed his former No. 2 for lacking the "courage" to stop lawmakers from certifying the Electoral College vote, in favor of now-President Joe Biden, a process disrupted by rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
A House select committee is now investigating the planning around the events of Jan. 6.
If the DOJ prosecutes Bannon and he is convicted, he could face fines up to $100,000 and a year in prison.
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