CBS News Correspondent Scott MacFarlane discussed the significance of former President Donald Trump’s cell phone data from January 6, describing it as a “high-level piece of evidence” and noting that a January 6 committee member referred to it as the “Holy Grail.” MacFarlane commented on the new filing by Special Counsel Jack Smith, which detailed expert witness evidence to be introduced at Trump’s trial on charges related to January 6.
MacFarlane highlighted the role of the district court judge, Judge Tanya Chutkan, in maintaining a schedule and avoiding delays in the trial, as Trump’s legal team has been attempting to extend the timeline. He emphasized the importance of the cell phone data, pointing out that Denver Riggleman, a former Virginia congressman and a top investigator for the January 6 committee, called it the “holy grail” of evidence. Riggleman stated that the communication between different players is crucial in investigating alleged conspiracies, making the phone data a potentially provocative and high-level piece of evidence if presented to a federal jury in Washington, D.C.
SCOTT MACFARLANE: And the district court judge in this case, Judge Tanya Chutkan, has done a consistent job in keeping the thing on schedule, keeping the trial date at March 4th and keeping crisp deadlines to avoid delays. It’s imperative in this case, because Donald Trump’s M.O. and his legal team’s M.O. in this case has been to delay, to extend the clock and try to push this until after the election.
ANNE-MARIE GREEN: Okay. Now, let me ask you about this cell phone. I mean, I imagine a cell phone being used in the White House. There’d be all kinds of encryption and all sorts of things on that. What sort of data might it hold and how much might Smith’s team actually have gotten out of it?
SCOTT MACFARLANE: You know, one of the top investigators for the House January 6th select committee, the former Virginia congressman. Denver Riggleman, has said the data in the phones is the holy grail of the evidence the committee reviewed, and that the Department of Justice and Special Counsel now have because this is a case alleging conspiracy. And Congressman Riggleman writes this in his book, The Breach, that “this case is an alleged conspiracy in the communication between different players is such a critical component when investigating alleged conspiracies.”
This phone data is a potentially provocative, high-level piece of evidence if presented to a D.C. federal jury.
