Thread by @costareports

Hearing from 2 sources, familiar with the special counsel grand jury on J6, that Trump's consideration of using purported fed. authority to seize voting machines is under scrutiny. SC probing whether there was criminal intent to build a premise for delay/block in certification...

Why this matter... investigators, I'm told, are interested in whether Trump was CHOOSING, verbally and in documented exchanges, to buy into S. Powell/Flynn suggestion that, by claiming voting machines were problematic, the election had to be sent back to the states...

See p. 194 of Peril. Look at what Trump says to the group in the room, per our reporting: "I care about getting these machines... I want to get these machines and I have a right to do so... "

One interesting element of this is that Giuliani despised Sidney Powell & crew and thought they were encroaching on his turf. So the SC, I'm told, is looking at how Rudy was working states for Trump, all while Powell/Flynn were working machine angle. Related but diff't schemes...

As SC explores whether there was provable criminal intent, it's becoming, at the least, a wide-ranging probe exploring how plots to overturn election developed, the sources said... whereas Rudy wanted to push states to have special sessions, the Powell group wanted fed. power...

Many Qs for witnesses, I'm told, related to whether people knowingly used fraud to try to achieve their ends. Did they know the alt. elec scheme was based on lies/bad intel? (Rudy had so many affafidavits coming in.) And did they push machine scheme knowing they weren't at fault?

Final thoughts for tonight: the reason it seems mid-December now matters in the probe is that it's BEFORE the Pence scheme really kicks in and picks up speed. It's the closest Trump comes to bringing in Powell to WH, considering EOs on machines. A moment of planning, decision...

So while "use Pence" scheme is certainly also key part of probe, SC team clearly asking questions about WHAT ELSE was considered, how, and WHEN did Trump mention it and why, and how did he respond to attys? Alt. electors, seizing voting machines, pressuring state officials, etc.

Recall, many people in that 12-18-20 Oval mtg. are cooperating w/ SC on J6 probe and repeatedly told Trump that what Powell was suggesting was not true or legal. Trump's response to guidance from attys is part of understanding his motivations and conduct.

https://twitter.com/costareports/status/1640079624989204480

The question remains, though, whether SC will seek indictments or write up a lengthy report... no one I've spoken with, with varying levels of connection to the investigation, is quite sure what Smith will do... the constant word is this is "serious" but hard to predict.