
Jenna Ellis, an attorney who played a role in Donald Trump’s post-election efforts, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to making false statements about election fraud to Georgia lawmakers. Ellis, who had worked alongside Rudy Giuliani, is the third Trump-affiliated attorney to recently plead guilty to crimes stemming from the 2020 election.
Guilty Pleas Reshaping the Case
Ellis’s guilty plea, along with Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, may reshape the case against Trump and his allies. These admissions provide prosecutors with testimony from close advisers, acknowledging that some of their actions crossed into criminal territory.
In her court appearance in Atlanta, Ellis expressed regret for her actions and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in upcoming proceedings. As part of her plea agreement, she will serve five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution, and write a letter of apology.
Ellis, 38, described herself as a relatively junior member of Trump’s legal team, highlighting that she relied on others with more experience to provide accurate information. She failed to ensure the facts were true due to the frenetic pace of challenging the election results in multiple states.
A Key Figure in Post-Election Efforts
Jenna Ellis was a prominent figure in Trump’s post-election efforts, traveling with Rudy Giuliani to states won by Joe Biden and advocating for alternate slates of presidential electors. She also played a role in urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to count Biden’s electoral votes.
The prosecutor on the case argued that Ellis had failed to check the accuracy of information presented at a Georgia Senate hearing in December 2020 and similar proceedings in other states. The false statements were made recklessly, with a purpose to avoid learning the truth.
Ellis’s guilty plea, while not involving a crime of moral turpitude, may help her avoid severe repercussions against her law license. A lawyer for Trump argued that the prosecution’s willingness to drop the racketeering charge and agree to probation for Ellis undermines the existing indictment.
Four of Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia case have now reached plea deals with prosecutors, including Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman involved in a post-election breach of voting equipment in Coffee County, Georgia.
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