Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign attorney, Kenneth Chesebro, has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump. This comes shortly after Chesebro’s co-defendant, Sidney Powell, struck her own plea agreement with prosecutors.
As part of the plea deal, Chesebro, like Powell, will be required to testify truthfully at the trials of other co-defendants in the case, including Trump. This sudden change in Chesebro’s stance suggests increasing pressure on the defendants to cooperate with the Fulton County District Attorney’s team, further implicating the former president.
Chesebro had previously rejected a plea offer but changed his mind after his trial had already begun. With his guilty plea, he becomes the third out of 19 co-defendants to plead guilty in the case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This case accuses Trump and others of conspiring to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia’s 2020 election.
Both Chesebro and Powell have also been identified as likely co-conspirators in a separate election interference case against Trump in federal court in Washington, D.C. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four of his active criminal cases.
Chesebro’s defense attorney, Scott Grubman, stated that the plea deal allows his client to avoid serious jail time and return to his family. Grubman also dismissed concerns about Trump’s potential vulnerability due to this development in the case.
Initially charged with seven counts, including violating Georgia’s racketeering act, Chesebro’s indictment alleged that he orchestrated a scheme to get alternate electors to vote for Trump in swing states where he had lost to Biden. The charges also accused Chesebro of sending emails with strategies to disrupt the confirmation of Biden’s victory during the joint session at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Under the negotiated plea agreement, all charges against Chesebro, except one count of conspiracy to file false documents, were dropped. He will receive five years’ probation and must pay $5,000 in restitution to Georgia. Additionally, he is required to complete 100 hours of community service and submit an apology letter to the court.
Chesebro and Powell were set to become the first co-defendants in the case to go to trial before they decided to plead guilty. However, a trial date has yet to be set for Trump and the other co-defendants who have pleaded not guilty.
Powell, known for spreading false voter fraud conspiracies and filing unsuccessful lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to interfere with the performance of election duties. Another co-defendant, bail bondsman Scott Hall, previously pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor conspiracy charges in September.
Please note that this is a developing story, and updates will be provided as they become available.
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