Election Law

Ex-law prof advised counting mail-in ballots at 'prorated amount' to swing Pennsylvania to Trump

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Retired Chapman University law professor John Eastman advised a Pennsylvania lawmaker to count mail-in ballots at a “prorated amount,” giving the state legislature justification to install pro-Trump electors, according to newly released emails.

Discounting mail-in ballots, which favor Democrats, “would help provide some cover” for Republicans to replace electors for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, Eastman wrote in the December 2020 email.

The New York Times, Politico and the Denver Post have coverage.

Eastman’s emails were obtained from the University of Colorado, where Eastman was a visiting professor, as a result of a public records request by the Colorado Ethics Institute.

Eastman is being investigated for possible ethics violations in California in connection with his work to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Previous reports revealed that Eastman had argued in a memo that then-Vice President Mike Pence was “the ultimate arbiter” in the electoral vote count. The memo offered several scenarios in which Pence could give former President Donald Trump an election win.

Eastman also shared his theory about “secret folders” inside voting machines to rig the election during a rally for Trump shortly before the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Chapman University says it didn’t authorize law prof’s representation of Trump, yet work was on server”

ABAJournal.com: “Trump and law prof likely ‘dishonestly conspired’ to block election vote count, judge says”

ABAJournal.com: “Former Chapman law prof says ex-dean knew of his work for Trump; 2 students were ‘thrilled’ to help”

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