Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis entered a guilty plea in Georgia on Tuesday morning related to her efforts to help overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state. She tearfully told the judge that she looks back on that time with “deep remorse” as she pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings.
“I believe in and I value election integrity, if I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges,” Ellis said in court. “I look back on my experiences with deep remorse.”
Avoiding RICO
Ellis had been facing charges of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer. Both are felonies.
She claimed that she had relied on lawyers with much more experience, and failed to verify what she had been told.
“What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true,” Ellis explained.
Under the terms of the deal, Ellis will face five years of probation, and pay a $5,000 fine to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. In addition, she must complete 100 hours of community service. Ellis is also prohibited from making comments to the media or contacting any of the witnesses involved in the case.
Ellis was previously censured by a Colorado judge, who said she “undermined the American public’s confidence in the presidential election.”
Fully Cooperate
The Washington Post reported that Ellis is the first senior Trump aide who has been held criminally accountable for and admitted to making false statements about the 2020 presidential election. She had previously worked closely with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and appeared with him in a press conference at the Republican National Committee after the election.
Ellis has previously said on the record that she no longer supports the former president due to his “narcissistic tendencies.” As part of her plea deal, she agreed to provide “additional recorded statements” to prosecutors and will continue to provide documents – while she will be required to “fully cooperate” with prosecutors, including appearing at any evidentiary hearings.
All the Presidents Men And Women
Ms. Ellis is the fourth defendant in the Georgia case to take plea deals. Two other defendants, fellow attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, each entered plea deals in recent days, while bail bondsman Scott Hall became the first defendant charged to agree to such a deal.
Former President Trump and 18 others initially pleaded not guilty in August to all charges in Georgia’s racketeering indictment for their alleged role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the Peach State.
This is a developing story.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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