Jenna Ellis, Donald Trump’s former campaign lawyer, pled guilty to election subversion in Georgiacon October 24th. Ellis captured national attention with a tearful apology in which she accepted the plea deal, saying, “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.” This unprecedented admission by the lawyer does not bode well for the former President in his continuous persecutions.
Ellis’ plea deal comes after Scott Hall, one of Trump’s co-defendants in the election interference case, pled guilty on September 29th. Following Hall’s lead, other former associates of Trump grabbed their own plea deals in the Georgia case, including former lawyers Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and now, Jenna Ellis. The consequences for all four Trump-accomplices include probation, fines, and a requirement to testify in the ongoing court cases against both Trump himself and his other co-conspirators.
Former President Donald Trump currently faces 91 felony counts across four criminal cases in three US states and the District of Columbia. Those states are New York, Florida, and Georgia where he has been charged with bookkeeping fraud, hoarding sensitive national security documents, and election subversion, respectively. He has pled not guilty to all counts, with court dates that began in October of 2023 and will run through May of 2024. If found guilty in any one of these cases, Trump will become a convicted felon and may face jail time, alongside other consequences.
The Georgia prosecution has additionally turned on Mark Meadows, Trump’s fourth and final chief of staff, after securing the four aforementioned guilty pleas. Meadows supposedly revealed “critical” information to the prosecution in exchange for immunity against testifying. Meadows was simply granted immunization to testify instead of accepting a plea, unlike the four other individuals seen so far. Meadows remains on trial in the state of Georgia for election subversion and continues to face multiple felonies alongside Trump.
With Meadows and the guilty pleas utilized, the Georgia case seems to be turning for the prosecution. But the results of the Georgia case, and four other cases against Trump and his associates, remain in the air. Yes, four dominos may have fallen, with a fifth (Mark Meadows) seemingly teetering on the edge, but is that enough to convict Trump and his conspirators? While questions will temporarily remain unanswered, the fact that five key players have already engaged with the prosecution is indicative of a trend reflected during the entirety of the Trump era: money
and power before loyalty. What remains to be seen is whether Trump’s entourage chooses to save their own skin or remain loyal to a man who brought them political power, money, and influence. Loyalty risks the careers many have spent a lifetime building, not to mention a felony conviction. Turning would leave the former President alone in his fight and the consequences of his actions, while permanently severing all viable connections to him politically. Given he is projected to win the GOP nomination, this could prove detrimental to their careers.
This article also appears in our November 2023 print edition.
