Trump Impeachment Lawyer Tells Jan. 6 Hearing That Rigged Vote Claims Were 'Nuts'

A Trump White House attorney derided election conspiracy theories by Donald Trump allies as nuts in videotape testimony played at a hearing Monday by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Eric Herschmann, who defended Trump at his first impeachment trial , was appalled by schemes to overthrow the presidential election to keep the former president in office.

Hershmann particularly lambasted the incredible scenario of voting corruption pitched by long-time Trump henchman Rudy Giuliani and lawyer Sidney Powell . They concocted a confusing scheme that somehow had dead Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez manipulating Dominion Voting System machines to affect the vote in America.

What they were proposing, I thought, was nuts in theory was also completely nuts, right? Herschmann said in his testimony as he shook his head.

It was a combination of Italians, the Germans, different things that had been floating around as to who was involved ... Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelans. She has an affidavit from somebody who says they wrote a software [program], and something with the Philippines just all over their radar, he added with disgust.

He also said in another clip: The Dominion stuff, I never saw any evidence whatsoever to sustain those allegations.

What they were proposing, I thought, was nutscompletely nuts.

Former Pres. Trumps White House lawyer Eric Herschmann testimony on the election fraud claims proposed Rudy Giuliani & Sidney Powell pic.twitter.com/uUevWUz22R

Vladimir Duthiers (@vladduthiersCBS) June 13, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Vladimir Duthiers","author_url":"https://twitter.com/vladduthiersCBS","cache_age":86400,"description":"What they were proposing, I thought, was nutscompletely nuts.Former Pres. 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What they were proposing, I thought, was nutscompletely nuts.

Former Pres. Trumps White House lawyer Eric Herschmann testimony on the election fraud claims proposed Rudy Giuliani & Sidney Powell pic.twitter.com/uUevWUz22R
Vladimir Duthiers (@vladduthiersCBS) June 13, 2022

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) pointed out at the hearing that attorneys for Powell last year wrote in a motion to dismiss a $1.3 billion defamation suit filed by Dominion against her that no reasonable person would conclude that the statements [about Dominion] were truly statements of fact. The suit is ongoing .

Herschmann also blasted a detailed scheme to overturn the election by coup-memo attorney John Eastman .

Are you out of your effing mind? Herschmann said he confronted the lawyer the day after the insurrection. I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth from now on: Orderly transition, he added.

White House lawyer Eric Herschmann on what he said to John Eastman on January 7: \"I said to him, 'are you out of your effing mind?' I said, 'I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth from now on -- orderly transition.\" pic.twitter.com/8yEoqZjdgU

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Aaron Rupar","author_url":"https://twitter.com/atrupar","cache_age":86400,"description":"White House lawyer Eric Herschmann on what he said to John Eastman on January 7: \"I said to him, 'are you out of your effing mind?' 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White House lawyer Eric Herschmann on what he said to John Eastman on January 7: "I said to him, 'are you out of your effing mind?' I said, 'I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth from now on -- orderly transition." pic.twitter.com/8yEoqZjdgU
Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2022

Herschmann also took a dig at Giuliani, noting that the one-time New York City major was at this stage of his life in the same ability to manage things at this level or not.

The lawyer pointed out that one-time New York police commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was working with Giuliani, said they never proved the allegations they were making.