Trump Co-defendant Scott Hall Pleads Guilty in Georgia RICO Case

Scott Hall. Fulton County Sherrif's Office

Bail bondsman Scott Hall pled guilty on Friday afternoon to five misdemeanor charges of “conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties” in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, giving up his right to a trial by jury to appeal a conviction.

Mr. Hall is one of 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump, charged with violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

This came hours after prosecutors told Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, earlier in the day on Friday that they would, but had not yet, approached any of the defendants with plea bargains.

Mr. Hall is the first to enter into a plea bargain with Fulton County prosecutors after initially pleading not guilty.

“I understand this is a change of plans,” said Judge McAfee at the hearing, which lasted about 25 minutes.

Attorneys Jeff Weiner and Yisel Villar representing Mr. Hall, and prosecutor Nathan Wade were present.

As part of the deal, Mr. Hall has agreed to five years probation, 12 months for each count, and to “testify truthfully in this case and all further proceedings,” something the prosecutors emphasized and repeated.

He will also need to pay a $5,000 fine, write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia, and complete 200 hours of community service. He will also need to surrender his firearms license, and cannot participate in polling or the administering of elections in this period.

By entering into this plea, Mr. Hall has become a key witness in the case against the remaining 18 defendants.

On Aug. 14, a grand jury handed up the 98-page, 41 indictment. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is prosecuting the case, and claims the 19 defendants’ actions in challenging the 2020 election results constituted a “racketeering criminal enterprise conspiracy.” The other 18 defendants have all pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Terms

He will still be barred from communication with any co-defendants on the case, and cannot speak to the media about the case.

He would have two years to file an appeal and file a habeas corpus challenging the voluntary nature of the guilty plea.

Mr. Weiner put forth three additional conditions agreed upon with the prosecutors and his client.

“The plea is pursuant to the Georgia First Defender Act, yes, but it was agreed that the defendant will receive a withhold of adjudication of guilt,” he said. The act allows first-time offenders in Georgia to avoid a conviction in certain circumstances, and a withhold of adjudication would mean that Mr. Hall would not be formally convicted of any crimes.

Mr. Weiner said the second condition was that if there are no violations of probation and all terms have been complied with, after two and a half years, “the probation will revert to non-reporting probation.” Mr. Hall will also not be subject to travel restrictions while on probation.

“Finally, the prosecution will assert that the misdemeanors to which my client is pleading are not crimes of moral turpitude,” he added.

The prosecution clarified that since it was not a crime of moral turpitude, Mr. Hall would not need to be fingerprinted.

Judge McAfee said he would make a note of it, but it may be something the Department of Corrections can override.

“I'll accept your plea and sentence you, Mr. Hall, as recommended by the parties,” he said.

Charges

Along with violating RICO, Mr. Hall was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer theft, conspiracy to commit computer trespass, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy, and conspiracy to defraud the state.

Co-defendants Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor who alleged fraud in the 2020 elections in several states, and Misty Hampton, the election director for Coffee County, Georgia, were charged with the same counts.

Ms. Powell had demanded a speedy trial and goes to court on Oct. 23; her legal counsel is arguing that she had nothing to do with the charges alleged, and that the investigation of Coffee County election machines was approved by local officials. Mr. Hall’s guilty plea could be used in the prosecution’s arguments against Ms. Powell.

“On or about the 7th day of January 2021, Sidney Katherine Powell, Cathleen Alston Latham, Scott Graham Hall, and Misty Hampton committed the felony offense of interference with primaries and elections,” states Act 144 of racketeering in the indictment.

Of the 161 acts of racketeering in the indictment, Mr. Hall is included in 11 of them.

According to the indictment, Mr. Hall had been “looking into the election on behalf of the President at the request of David Bossie,” who served as a campaign manager for President Trump. He allegedly assisted with the “unlawful breach of election equipment” in Coffee County. Several phone calls and emails in which Mr. Hall was involved are listed as overt acts to further a conspiracy, including a text a co-defendant made with the local airport address so that Mr. Hall could be picked up from the airport.