‘The Illegality of the Plan Was Obvious’

<p>After months of investigation by a congressional committee, a federal judge has found that President Donald J. Trump and his allies most likely engaged in illegal activity in the wake of the 2020 election.</p><p>How did the committee achieve that ruling?</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/luke-broadwater?smid=pc-thedaily">Luke Broadwater</a>, a congressional reporter for The New York Times.</p><p>Have you lost a loved one during the pandemic? The Daily is working on a special episode memorializing those we have lost to the coronavirus. If you would like to share their name on the episode, please RECORD A VOICE MEMO and send it to us at <a href="mailto:thedaily@nytimes.com">thedaily@nytimes.com</a>. You can find more information and<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/podcasts/daily-memorial-covid.html"> specific instructions here</a>.</p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>The judge’s comments in the civil case of a lawyer, John Eastman, who advised Mr. Trump, marked<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/us/politics/trump-election-crimes.html"> a significant breakthrough</a> for the House committee.</li><li>The ruling does not necessarily mean that a prosecution would arrive at the same conclusion.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/29/us/politics/trump-jan-6-eastman.html"> Here’s an explanation</a>.</li></ul><p>Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>