Ex-Trump attorney Jenna Ellis strikes plea deal in Fulton election case
Four defendants now pleading guilty in election case
Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis on Tuesday became the fourth of the former President’s 18 Fulton County co-defendants to strike a plea deal with prosecutors in the sweeping election interference case.
This comes days after attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Cheseboro entered plea deals in the case. Another co-defendant, Scott Hall, pleaded guilty earlier this month.
In an impromptu court hearing, Ellis has pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding and abetting false statements. The charge stems from a statehouse committee hearing in December 2020 where she now admits to making false statements under oath about the results of that year’s presidential election.
In an unusual move, Ellis addressed the court after entering her plea. Through tears, Ellis said that she failed to do her “due diligence” in defending the Trump campaign’s false claims that the election had been stolen. “If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges,” she said. “I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse.”
Ellis must now cooperate as a witness if called to testify by prosecutors. Additionally, she has been sentenced to five years of probation and has been ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
It is another blow to the former President’s defense. Legal analysts warn that any guilty plea in a sprawling case like this could help prosecutors build their case against him.