ToplineAccording to documents released Friday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Trump called his acting attorney general daily at the end last year to alert him about false voter fraud claims. He also pressured him to declare 2020 election corrupt in a December telephone call. This is the latest example of Trump's extraordinary campaign to reverse the results of the elections.Multiple entities are investigating Trump's pressure campaign after the election. Getty ImagesThe Key FactsThe House committee, which is investigating Trump's possible illegal efforts to influence the election outcome, made public notes taken by Richard Donoghue (ex-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosens deputy) during a Dec. 27, phone call between Trump, top officials from Department of Justice. Donoghue recalls Trump asking Rosen and other top officers to simply say that the election had been corrupt and leave the rest to me or my congressional allies. According to notes, the ex-president claimed voter fraud in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Michigan. He also continued to push for other claims, when Donoghue refused to back down. Donoghue stated that Trump made a false claim about Pennsylvania having more voters than it had ballots cast. However, Donoghue continued to press on other claims when Donoghue would not back down. and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc. Forbes reached out for comment from representatives for Trump.Important QuoteDonoghue wrote Trump that his false voter fraud claims were dismissed. He also mentioned Jeff Clark, acting head of the department's civil division, which it later emerged had been part of a plan to discredit the election results and to oust Rosen. Donoghue said that Jeff Clark was a great person during the call. He should be in.TangentAccording to Donoghue's account, Trump told Department of Justice officials that they should figure out what to do about President Biden's son Hunter. Trump said that people will criticize Trump's DOJ if they don't investigate him for truth.Surprising FactNotes also show that two days following the phone call, Justice Department officials met top Trump officials including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to discuss Italygate. This conspiracy theory claims that people working for an Italian defense contractor conspired with senior CIA officials in order to switch Trump's votes to Biden.Important BackgroundThis is just the latest example of Trump pressuring officials for a change in the election results. Multiple entities are investigating his actions, including the House Oversight and Reform Committee. The Justice Department recently stated that they will allow unrestricted testimony to former officials. This is a departure from Trump's previous view that executive privilege protects conversations. The office of Georgia Secretary-of-State Brad Ratffensperger is also investigating Trump's post-election pressure campaign. Ratffensperger was asked by Trump late last year to find his favor during a phone call. Prosecutors in Georgia's Fulton County are also looking into the matter.
