Atlanta, GA / Washington, DC (October 25, 2023) – Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis pleads guilty in the Georgia election interference case, making it the third guilty plea in the past week. This development represents a significant turn of events in the ongoing legal disputes surrounding the 2020 election.
Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements, a felony stemming from her involvement in promoting baseless election claims to Georgia lawmakers in December 2020. At an unscheduled hearing in Atlanta, she was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
In a tearful statement before the judge, Jenna Ellis expressed deep remorse for her role in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. She stated, “If I knew then what I knew now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges.” Ellis also disavowed her participation in Trump’s attempts to overturn the election results, saying she failed to conduct due diligence in vetting the claims made by other Trump attorneys.
This guilty plea follows similar admissions from former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, who had a role in devising a fake electors plot. All three have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify at future trials. These developments have the potential to significantly impact the legal proceedings against Trump and other high-profile figures.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought forth the charges, has charged a total of 19 individuals in the extensive racketeering indictment. With four guilty pleas so far, the case is moving forward, and the pressure on other defendants to negotiate with prosecutors is increasing.
While Jenna Ellis’ plea implicates Trump indirectly in state crimes related to false voter fraud claims, the former president maintains his not guilty plea. These developments come as Trump runs as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential race.
The legal proceedings in Georgia, coupled with other pending cases, will continue to draw significant attention as they could have far-reaching implications for the future of U.S. politics.