Title: Five Co-Conspirators Linked to Trump Indicted in Election Interference Case
Published: 11:21 a.m. ET, August 3, 2023
In a significant development, the indictment against former President Donald Trump in the special counsel’s probe into the events of January 6, 2021, and efforts to overturn the 2020 election has revealed the existence of six co-conspirators who assisted him in his alleged criminal activities. While the identities of these individuals remain undisclosed due to the lack of charges filed against them, CNN has been able to ascertain the names of five of these co-conspirators through quotes and contextual information provided in the charging documents.
Co-Conspirator 1: Rudy Giuliani, former Trump lawyer, has been identified as the first co-conspirator mentioned in the indictment. The document references a voicemail left by Co-Conspirator 1 for a US Senator on January 6, 2021. Comparisons between the voicemail and Giuliani’s call intended for GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville, as previously reported by CNN and other media outlets, confirm his involvement. In response, Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, fiercely defended his client, criticizing the indictment for violating the First Amendment.
Co-Conspirator 2: John Eastman, another former Trump lawyer, is the second individual named in the indictment. According to the document, Co-Conspirator 2 circulated a two-page memorandum containing a plan for Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election while presiding over the Electoral College certification on January 6, 2021. The quotes from the indictment align with a two-page memo authored by Eastman, as reported by CNN. Charles Burnham, Eastman’s attorney, dismissed the indictment’s claims and stated his client would reject any plea deal offered to him.
Co-Conspirator 3: Sidney Powell, also a former Trump lawyer, has been recognized as Co-Conspirator 3. The indictment states that she filed a lawsuit against the Governor of Georgia on November 25, 2020, alleging massive election fraud, and the lawsuit was dismissed on December 7, 2020. Both the dates and quotations presented in the charges match Powell’s federal lawsuit against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. An attorney representing Powell declined to comment on the matter.
Co-Conspirator 4: Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official, is designated as Co-Conspirator 4 in the indictment. The document characterizes him as a Justice Department official and includes a quote from an email sent by a senior Justice Department official rebuking Clark’s attempts to manipulate the department to overturn the election results. These quotes align with an email sent to Clark, as outlined in a Senate report investigating Trump’s alleged misuse of the Justice Department in 2020. Clark’s attorney has yet to respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Co-Conspirator 5: Kenneth Chesebro, a pro-Trump lawyer, is the fifth co-conspirator mentioned. The indictment references an email memorandum attributed to Co-Conspirator 5 and sent to Giuliani on December 13, 2020, detailing the fake electors plot. This email matches one sent by Chesebro to Giuliani, according to a copy publicly released by the House select committee that investigated the events of January 6. CNN is currently awaiting a response from Chesebro’s attorney.
Co-Conspirator 6: The identity of the final individual, referred to as Co-Conspirator 6, remains unknown. Described as a political consultant, this individual allegedly played a role in implementing a plan to submit fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding. The indictment further links this person to the fake elector slate in Pennsylvania.
While these co-conspirators have not been charged with any crimes, the revelation of their identities sheds light on the individuals allegedly involved in assisting Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. As the investigation unfolds, further details may emerge surrounding their alleged roles and the potential legal consequences they may face.