Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally conspiring to overturn the Republican’s 2020 election loss in Georgia, making her the third attorney formerly associated with Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign to accept a plea deal in the sweeping criminal racketeering case.
Ellis, who had been facing two charges including violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering act, pleaded guilty in court Tuesday morning to a single felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. The deal allows her to avoid jail time in exchange for providing evidence that could potentially implicate other defendants and agreeing to testify in any future trials. Ellis worked closely with personal Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, another defendant in the case who faces 13 charges.
The plea marks the first time a senior Trump aide has been held criminally accountable for and has admitted to making false statements that the 2020 presidential election was tainted by widespread fraud. In a hearing Tuesday morning, Ellis tearfully admitted that she was wrong and misled and that she no longer believes those false claims.
“If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges,” Ellis said.
Appearing before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Tuesday, Ellis and her attorneys Franklin and Laura Hogue listened as a prosecutor read out details of an amended indictment.
According to the details of the agreement, Ellis agreed to complete three to five years probation plus 100 hours of community service and to pay $5,000 in restitution to the Georgia secretary of state. She agreed to write a letter of apology to the state of Georgia.
She is the fourth Trump co-defendant to plead guilty in the case.
Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall, accused of playing a wide-ranging role in the conspiracy to reverse Trump’s loss in Georgia, pleaded guilty Sept. 29 in a cooperation deal with prosecutors.
Former pro-Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro each pleaded guilty last week on the eve of their scheduled joint trial in the case.