I watched part of the hearings on the third day. To those who followed the political scene closely, both before and after the election, there was nothing surprising other than perhaps a fuller understanding of the role played by the much maligned Mike Pence.
I was struck though by a comment from one who observed that what was truly shocking about the proceedings was not the ‘malfaisance’ (dare I say criminality) it highlighted, but the sheer apathy / disinterest showed by many, particularly the right.
The focus on the third day of public hearings was outlined and summarized well
in this NPR article. It focused on evidence regarding the plotting by
John Eastman, which was endorsed and enjoined by his co-conspirator Trump, to pressure Vice President Pence into unilaterally rejecting the constitutionally certified electors from multiple states in order to declare Trump re-elected as president. There were multiple scenarios offered by John Eastman for doing this, all of them clearly in violation of the Constitution and federal law.
The hearing covered: the specific acts Pence was being pressured to engage in and his multiple refusals; specific details of when, where, and how Pence was being pressured and by whom; and the potential criminal liability for Eastman and Trump. Cited during the hearing was the case brought by Eastman to withhold documents
and the ruling by Federal Judge David O. Carter.
Judge Carter did block a small number of documents, but allowed most to be released to the committee. His
44-page ruling in the case is worth reading. I at least recommend reading pages 3 thru 11, which lays out the background facts regarding:
1) Election fraud claims, 2) Plan to disrupt electoral count, and 3) Attack on the Capitol in a very clear, methodical, and concise manner. There are then several pages of legal analysis regarding the documentary evidence that Eastman is trying to block.
