The Capitol Riot was unfolding when Trump attorney John Eastman wrote an email to Mike Pence's aide blaming the vice president's inaction.
The Washington Post reports that Eastman and a Pence aide exchanged emails while the rioters invaded the Capitol.
Pence was hiding from the mob, which included some who were calling for his execution.
A daily selection of top stories, based on your reading preferences, is available to you. Loading Click Sign up to receive marketing emails and other offers from Insider.
Trump attorney John Eastman said that Vice President Mike Pence ran from the mob who entered the Capitol on January 6th. He told Pence's team they were responsible for the riot. This is according to a Washington Post report.
Eastman made these comments in an email exchange to Greg Jacob, a top Pence aide. Jacob described the riot in an email exchange and said that it was a "siege", while Eastman sheltered in a secure place with the vice president.
Jacob wrote that "thanks to your bullshit we are now under siege," according to the newspaper.
Eastman responded, "The'siege" is because YOU and YOUR boss didn't do what was necessary for this to be air in a public manner so that the American people see for themselves what occurred." Eastman was referring to Trump's fraudulent claims regarding the 2020 election.
John Eastman, a conservative legal scholar, played a key role in pushing Pence to overturn his election certification by creating various legal theories.
According to reports, the vice president repeatedly refused to comply with his constitutional authority.
Trump tweeted that the Capitol riot was unfolding and that Mike Pence had not shown the courage to do the right thing to defend our Country and our Constitution.
Many rioters chanted for execution of the vice president.
Mike Pence said that Trump was his "I don’t know if they’ll ever see eye-to-eye on that day."
Interviews with The Post revealed that Eastman confirmed the contents of Jacobs' emails, but denied that he was blaming Mike Pence.
Eastman claimed that Trump's team had the right to use "every legal tool" to contest the election results. He also said that they were plagued with fraud.
"Are we supposed to do nothing about that?" Eastman spoke to the paper.
Jacob sent Eastman an email on January 6th, as the unrest was beginning, to remember his conversation with Eastman the previous day, according to two sources who are familiar with the matter.
Jacob emailed Eastman again to complain about the legal advice that he had given Pence regarding stopping certification after he and his team were led out of the Senate.
An anonymous source familiar with the emails informed The Post Jacob later apologised for using profanity in an email to Eastman but remained firm in his criticisms.
Greg Jacob included Eastman's email in an opinion article he had written in January, but decided not to publish. The Post got the email and published it on Friday.
Jacob stated in the article that Eastman sent that email one hour before the attack on the Capitol. This was shocking because he didn't realize how these practical implications were being played out in real-time.
Jacob was also accused by Trump's lawyers of creating "a webof lies and disinformation to him and the public" in an effort to force Pence to contest the election results.
Jacob suggested that the legal profession consider whether any of the involved attorneys should be disciplined. Jacob said that they were using their credentials to "sell a stream of snake oils to the most powerful offices in the world, wrapped up in the disguise of lawyer's advice."
