>The Republican elite are all in favor of Trump being convicted of bribery rather than his other crimes.

Exactly. They've really just been trying to figure out how and what they can charge him with that won't blowback on the established political leadership of the party. They have their hands in too much of what Trump did for him to ever face prosecution for any of it, but prosecution for this has no way of bouncing back on anybody important with the party and take's the need to deal with him off their plate as it ends his political career. At least that's what they're likely hoping for.