Trump lawyer John Eastman sought presidential pardon after January 6

Disclosure from Capitol attack committee suggests consciousness of guilt in unlawful scheme to return Trump to White House

Former Trump legal adviser John Eastman sought a presidential pardon in the days after January 6, the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack revealed on Thursday - indicating he knew he acted illegally as he sought to return Donald Trump to the White House.

The disclosure, which came at the end of the panel's third hearing on Thursday, appears to show a degree of consciousness of guilt from Eastman over his role in attempting to execute the unlawful plan to have then-vice president Mike Pence overturn the 2020 election results.