The panel has come to see Trump’s preparation for delegitimizing the results of the election as beginning well before Election Day, with his effort to question the integrity of mail-in voting — even as numerous states began expanding its use amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Though even many allies had urged him to embrace mail-in voting, Trump resisted and immediately made it the centerpiece of his effort to cast doubt on the results of the election.

Within days of Nov. 3 — even before the election was called for Joe Biden — one of Trump’s advisers, Cleta Mitchell, cited these state laws as a reason to push for state legislators to appoint pro-Trump electors. In the meantime, Trump turned to allies to promote his increasingly outlandish claims of fraud, even as court after court rejected them.

To tell this part of the story, the panel will turn to Trump’s former campaign chief, Bill Stepien. Stepien was present for campaign discussions about Trump’s chances in the election, and the committee contends he can speak to the campaign’s reliance on election fraud claims to juice fundraising. Stepien is appearing under subpoena, per a source familiar with the arrangement.