Former Trump attorney takes plea deal in Georgia election case
Jenna Ellis, Donald Trump's former attorney, took a plea deal in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis has pleaded guilty to intentionally interfering in the election process in the state of Georgia.
On Tuesday, Ellis' attorneys informed Judge Scott McAfee that Ellis intended to plead guilty to aiding and abetting false statements in writing, and both were present in a courtroom hearing where a teary-eyed Ellis, 38, read from a prepared typed statement admitting her fault.
"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 my dealings," Ellis said in the courtroom. "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," she continued, saying she worked closely with other lawyers who provided her with information that she then told the media. "What I did not do, but I should, was make sure the facts that the other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true. In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states, including Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence."
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Jenna Ellis speaks with her attorney Franklin Hogue after Ellis plead guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, inside Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's Fulton County Courtroom, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. Ellis, an attorney and prominent conservative media figure, reached a deal with prosecutors Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trump's 2020 election loss in Georgia. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
She was charged with and subsequently pleaded guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. It carries a minimum of one year in prison.
As part of the plea deal, Ellis will have to serve five years probation and pay $5,000 in restitution to the Georgia Secretary of State within 30 days.
In this handout provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis poses for her booking photo on Aug. 23, 2023 in Atlanta. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office via Getty Images)
She will also have to complete 100 hours of community service, write an apology letter to voters in the state of Georgia and testify truthfully in future hearings regarding ongoing cases.
Jenna Ellis reads a statement inside Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's Fulton County Courtroom, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Ellis has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia and says tearfully she looks back on that time with "deep remorse." Ellis is the fourth defendant to enter into a plea deal with prosecutors. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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Ellis is also not allowed to post anything on social media about her case until the conclusion of all cases about election inference.
Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is seen on the bench during a plea by Jenna Ellis at the Fulton County Courthouse, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
In lieu of ongoing cases, she must fully cooperate with prosecutors in interviews and evidentiary hearings as well as assisting in pre-trial matters.
A Nov. 19, 2020, photo shows attorney Jenna Ellis speaking during a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
She also asked the court to be tried as a first-time offender.
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