John Eastman, a retired law professor, told the January 6 Special Committee that he had e-mailed Rudy Giuliani shortly after the January 6 insurrection, writing "I've decided that I should be on the pardon list, if that is still in the works." He joins the ranks of 29 Congresspeople (only one so far has been outed) who requested pardons in the last days of the Trump administration.
Who kept the pardon list? Mr. Giuliani, who was President Trump's personal attorney at the time? Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and backstage gatekeeper? Or someone else inside the White House? Whoever it is, it deserves a bit of verse. This one's to the tune of "I've Got a Little List" from Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta "The Mikado":
If someday it should happen that a pardon must be sold,I‘ve got a little list, I’ve got a little listOf conspirators and plotters whose misfortunes are now told,And who all want on my list, who all want on my list.There’s the crazy law professor who thinks Pence can pick the Prez,And the Congressmen and women who repeat what Eastman says,“Ordinary tourists” who invade the House’s floor,The folks who take them up and down the stairs the day before,Promoters of the Big Lie – well, I’m sure you get the gist,They all want on my list, they all want on my list.
Footnote for fans of Professor Eastman: His Wikipedia entry ends with this intriguing note:
Other
On January 7, 2021, Eastman edited this Wikipedia article to portray his post-election role in a more favorable light. His editing was reverted due to conflict-of-interest rules of Wikipedia, and on January 9 he appealed on the article's talk page, where some changes were approved but others were denied.[118]