\n\n“The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack seems to be building toward a conclusion that former President Donald Trump broke the law, and developments in recent days have intensified questions about his potential criminal exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported<\/a> that White House records of Trump\u2019s calls on the day of the attack, which had been turned over to the January 6 committee, had a gap of seven hours and 37 minutes in which no calls were listed. Speculation abounded from investigators and commentators that Trump used unofficial \u201cburner phones\u201d on that day to avoid leaving a paper trail with the federal government records. (Trump denied knowing what a burner phone is.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, earlier in the week, a federal judgetook stock of the January 6 committee\u2019s argument that Trump had committed crimes connected to that day\u2019s events \u2014 and found them persuasive. As part of a ruling in a civil lawsuit<\/a> over whether Trump\u2019s lawyer had to turn over some records to the committee, the judge wrote that Trump \u201cmore likely than not\u201d committed both obstruction and conspiracy as he tried to impede Congress\u2019s count of the electoral votes, and harshly condemned his actions. This is just one judge\u2019s opinion, but it was a vote of confidence in the case the committee seems to be building.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Given that there are multiple<\/a> reports<\/a> about Trump making or receiving calls during this time span, it seems obvious the official records are incomplete. Trump may have used his aides\u2019 phones to speak to others. But Woodward and Costa also report<\/a> that the committee is investigating whether Trump deliberately used cheap \u201cburner phones\u201d that could be used temporarily and then disposed of, therefore avoiding an easily documentable paper trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump responded with a statement claiming he had \u201cno idea what a burner phone is, to the best of my knowledge I have never even heard the term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But former national security adviser John Bolton told Costa<\/a> he had heard Trump use the term \u201cburner phones\u201d several times and that Trump fully understood what they were used for. And Hunter Walker wrote for Rolling Stone<\/a> back in November that some organizers of the pro-Trump rally in Washington, DC, on January 6 had obtained burner phones to contact Trump\u2019s team and even members of the Trump family.”
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