The President apparently got what he wanted in State officials like Senator Mastriano, but not those who dared question or outright reject his anti-democratic efforts to overturn the election. In some cases, those who questioned him made the President and his advisors dig in and push harder. On January 1st, Campaign Senior Advisor Jason Miller asked for a "blast text and Twitter blast out" that would urge President Trump's supporters to "Contact House Speaker Bryan Cutler & Senate President Pro Tem Jake Corman!" to "Demand a vote on certification."[274] Senior Campaign attorneys, however, replied that this might violate Pennsylvania's "very stringent" lobbying laws and get them prosecuted or fined.[275] Instead, they agreed on a similar call to action aimed at Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers rather than Speaker Cutler and President Pro Tempore Corman in Pennsylvania.[276]
2.6 THE FINAL OUTREACH TO STATE LEGISLATORS
The efforts to overturn the election through State legislatures continued throughout the final two weeks before the joint session of Congress on January 6th. Based on actual events and documents obtained by the Select Committee, President Trump's Campaign team, outside advisors, and motivated volunteers generally acted in accord with what was written down in a "Strategic Communications Plan" when engaging with, and sometimes demonizing, State officials. Activities that occurred thereafter were in accord with the plan.
The "Plan" was explained in a document that was presented to the White House.[277] The plan contemplated pressuring Republican legislators both in Congress and in six key swing States. The document itself purports to be the product of the "GIULIANI PRESIDENTIAL LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM" and declared that "We Have 10 Days to Execute This Plan & Certify President Trump!"[278]
Kerik told the Select Committee that pieces of the plan had been in place for some period of time before the document was actually created, and that he thought that the "catalyst" for actually memorializing the plan was the approaching deadline of January 6th.[279] In fact, the 10-day plan to help "certify president Trump" had been the subject of "continual discussions" for "6 weeks" and was "being discussed every day at some point prior to the 10 days that we're talking about. So it was a continuous thing that went on."[280]
Ultimately, the Giuliani team shared the Strategic Communications Plan and urged its implementation. Kerik sent the plan to Mark Meadows via email on December 28th with this note, in part:
