Former Trump Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Georgia Case, Agrees to Cooperate

Jenna Ellis (C) reacts after reading a statement pleading guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Oct. 24, 2023. John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images

Jenna Ellis, a one-time lawyer for former President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty to a charge in Georgia on Oct. 24.

Ms. Ellis, 38, who was part of President Trump’s legal team during the 2020 presidential election, pleaded guilty in Fulton County court.

Ms. Ellis said she was aware of the details of the deal and that she could go to trial instead of pleading guilty.

“As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously, and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings. In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, I believed that challenging the results on behalf of President Trump should be pursued in a just and legal way. I endeavored to represent my client to the best of my ability,” Ms. Ellis told the court, adding that she relied on information from other lawyers.

“What I did not do, but should have done, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were, in fact, true,” Ms. Ellis said. “In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states, including Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence. If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse.”

Ms. Ellis is pleading guilty to aiding and abetting false statements and writings, a felony.

The law in question deals with a person who “knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact; makes a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or makes or uses any false writing or document, knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, in any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of state government or of the government of any county, city, or other political subdivision of” Georgia.

According to documents entered in court, Ms. Ellis admitted that claims she made about the 2020 presidential election and Georgia were false, including allegations that 2,506 felons and 10,315 dead people voted in the election.

The documents also said the allegation that workers at State Farm Arena ordered poll watchers and reporters to leave the tabulation area the night of the election and continued to operate after everyone left was false, even though all observers did leave and counting continued.

The charge carries a prison term of one to five years and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

But under the plea agreement, Ms. Ellis will avoid jail time.

If she complies with the agreement, Ms. Ellis will serve five years probation, complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $5,000 fine, and cooperate with prosecutors, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said.

Charges

Ms. Ellis and 18 others, including President Trump, were indicted by a grand jury in Fulton County earlier this year under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Defendants made false statements and committed other crimes to further their objectives, including trying to persuade Georgia lawmakers to reject the electoral votes that were for then-candidate Joe Biden, according to the indictment.

Ms. Ellis was charged in part for participating in a meeting with Pennsylvania legislators on Nov. 25, 2020. During the meeting, she asked the legislators to appoint electors for President Trump, even though Pennsylvania’s vote count ended with President Biden on top.

Ms. Ellis was specifically charged with violating the RICO act and soliciting a violation of oath by a public officer.

Those charges are both felonies and carry a combined prison term of up to 23 years.

Attorney Jenna Ellis's mugshot at Fulton County Jail on Aug. 23, 2023. Fulton County Jail

Others Plead Guilty

Ms. Ellis is not the first defendant to plead guilty.

Sidney Powell, another lawyer, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors on Oct. 19, several days before her trial was scheduled to start and after attempts to dismiss the charges failed.

President Trump had said he hired Ms. Powell but, following the plea, said she never actually worked for him. President Trump’s campaign also said she was not a member of its legal team.

Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer, pleaded guilty to one felony the following day.

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, was the first defendant to enter a guilty plea. He pleaded guilty in September to five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties.

All defendants saw charges dropped as part of their plea deals, and will avoid time in prison if they follow the parameters of the agreements.

Others charged in the indictment include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former President Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer.

The charges were approved by a grand jury. They were presented by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat.