Federal authorities confiscated the phone of John Eastman, one of the alleged masterminds of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to undermine the results of the 2020 election.
FBI agents seized Eastman’s phone with a search warrant as he was exiting a New Mexico restaurant last Wednesday, the New York Times reported.
On Monday, Eastman filed a court document that detailed the matter in an attempt to retrieve his phone from the government.
Eastman’s phone was reportedly taken by agents and given to the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General where it was sent to a forensics lab in Northern Virginia.
Eastman, a lawyer who was an advisor to Trump, is accused of being the architect of Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The investigation into Eastman’s phone is said to be proof that the Justice Department is expanding its criminal investigation into Trump’s attempt to alter the results of the election.
Agents had previously asked a judge to force Eastman to reveal emails connected to Trump’s attempt to stay in office and his encouragement of supporters on Jan. 6.