I had the day off yesterday and so I got to watch the House Jan. 6 committee hearing live. For something as dry and methodical as it was, it was still riveting.
One of the key moments was a videotaped deposition with Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, who’s been a great source of telling-it-like-it-is testimony. Whackadoodle Chapman University lawyer John Eastman had called Herschmann the day after the Jan. 6 insurrection failed.
Herschmann said Eastman, who allegedly helped push the now ex-president’s quest to overturn the 2020 election, called him on January 7, 2021, trying to reach someone in Trump’s circle to discuss an issue related to the election.
Trump’s allies had claimed without evidence the vote had been undermined by fraud. Eastman is accused of pushing Pence to delay the formal certification of the election or reject some states’ Electoral College results. Pence declared on January 6 he had no such power.
Herschmann—part of Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial—gave Eastman short shrift, according to part of his taped deposition revealed on Tuesday.
“I don’t remember why he called me,” Herschmann said. “He started asking me something about dealing with Georgia and preserving something potentially for appeal.”
“I said to him, ‘are you out of your f***ing mind?’ right. I said, “I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth from now on—orderly transition.'”
“I don’t want to hear any other f***ing words coming out of your mouth, no matter what, other than ‘orderly transition.’ Repeat those words to me,” he said.
Asked how Eastman replied, Herschmann said that “eventually” he repeated the words.
Herschmann continued describing the conversation, telling the committee he advised Eastman that the “best free legal advice you’re ever getting in your life,” is to “get a great f***ing criminal defense lawyer, you’re going to need it.”
“Then I hung up on him,” Herschmann added.
It must have dawned on Eastman that Herschmann was correct about Eastman needing a good lawyer because shortly thereafter he contacted fellow whackadoodle Rudy Guiliani via email, saying, “I’ve decided that I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works.”
Eastman didn’t get the pardon.
And, after today’s committee hearing, I’m guessing that Eastman is even higher on a target list for the Department of Justice.
I was scouring the news this morning looking for a really good account of Herschmann’s testimony and, oddly, it wasn’t as easy to find as I thought it would be. Not sure why.
The official YouTube video is below.
Oh, and if you know anyone who worked in the Trump government, make sure they know all about this confidential way to submit tips about related wrong-doing.
