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The Times podcast: The lawyer behind Trump’s Jan. 6 attack

A man talks outdoors with American flags behind him.
John Eastman, the University of Colorado Boulder visiting scholar of conservative thought and policy, speaks about his plans to sue the university at a news conference outside school on April 29, 2021. The university relieved Eastman of his public duties after he spoke at President Trump’s rally preceding the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6.
(Denver Post)
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Before Jan. 6, 2021, John Eastman was known as a fringe figure in conservative circles. But now, Eastman’s not so fringe anymore.

A California-based federal judge said Trump probably committed felonies in connection with the events of that day. And he says that Eastman was the person Trump chose to find “a coup in search of a legal theory.”

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Today, in the second part of a miniseries on the Jan. 6 investigation, we get into Eastman’s career — and what his emails and actions on Jan. 6 might mean for Trump’s future.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times Justice Department reporter Sarah D. Wire

More reading:

How a California lawyer became a focal point of the Jan. 6 investigation

Judge rules against Trump lawyer John Eastman in dispute with Jan. 6 investigators

John Eastman, Trump’s lawyer on overturning election, under investigation by California Bar

About The Times

“The Times” is made by columnist Gustavo Arellano, senior producers Denise Guerra, Shannon Lin and Kasia Broussalian and producers Ashlea Brown and Angel Carreras. Our engineer is Mario Diaz. Our editor is Kinsee Morlan. Our executive producers are Jazmín Aguilera and Shani O. Hilton. Our theme song was composed by Andrew Eapen.
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