Tampering With Evidence Is A Crime–Even In The Senate

Doctored evidence was presented in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. A tweet that was presented by Rep. Eric Swalwell as evidence of brewing plans to create havoc in the capital on January 6 was entered into the record of evidence. Problem was that the tweet was changed in multiple places. Photoshopped. Faked. Tampered with.

Let’s not forget that the Senate impeachment trial operates as a legal trial.

Evidence in any trial is important. It is the information that is used to help determine guilt or innocence. What happens if a lawyer alters evidence to try to skew the truth in their case. No, let’s be honest–not skew the truth, but LIE and SUBVERT the truth. Tampering with evidence, as it is called legally, is a crime. According to the U.S. legal Code, the U.S. government takes tampering with evidence very seriously. A person who is convicted of the crime under federal law may face a prison sentence of not more than 20 years, a fine, or both. (18 U.S.C. § 1519.)

So what happens when a lawyer in the impeachment trial in the Senate presents evidence that has been tampered with? Will there be equal justice applied?

Trump’s defense attorney Michael van der Veen shared his outrage at the tampered evidence, and compounded frustration by the media justification of the tampering in this interview. When the anchor tried to downplay the altering of the evidence by telling viewers it was just a few little changes that were made, van der Veen broke in, “Wait–is that not enough for you?” He then went on, “It’s not okay to doctor “a little bit” of evidence.”

See the tweet that was doctored below. It begs the question if that tweet was changed, is there more evidence that was perhaps altered as well?

A few other questions… Will there be justice? Will charges be filed for tampering with evidence or is that just where we are right now in our standards for truth and justice–even or especially in Congress?

Join us to pray that those who doctored this evidence and presented it would be held accountable. Share your thoughts below.