ATLANTA — Jenna Ellis, an attorney with the 2020 Trump campaign, became the fourth co-defendant to take a deal to plead guilty in the Georgia election RICO case.
Ellis entered the new plea in Judge Scott McAfee's Fulton County courtroom Tuesday morning. She pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings under a plea agreement.
Under the original indictment Ellis had faced two charges - solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer and violation of the Georgia RICO Act. She was included in 12 of the 161 "acts of racketeering activity and overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy" in the original indictment.
As part of her agreement, Ellis falls under Georgia First Offender Act provisions. She received five years probation (with a behavioral incentive to terminate after three years), pay a $5,000 fine to the state of Georgia, complete 100 hours of community service and she has agreed to testify and cooperate with prosecutors in further proceedings in the RICO case.
In court, she read an apology to the people of Georgia.
"I endeavored to represent my client to the best of my abilities and relied on others, including lawyers with many more years of experience than I, to provide me with true information, especially because my role involved speaking to the media and state legislators," she said. "What I did not do, but should have done, was make sure the facts other lawyers alleged to be true were in fact true."
Ellis added: "In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states, including Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence. I believe in and value election integrity. 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."
Ellis appeared with Rudy Giuliani at a Dec. 3, 2020, hearing hosted by state Republican lawmakers at the Georgia Capitol during which false allegations of election fraud were made.
Ellis also was alleged in the RICO indictment of writing at least two legal memos to Trump and his attorneys advising that Vice President Mike Pence should “disregard certified electoral college votes from Georgia and other purportedly ‘contested’ states” when Congress met to certify the election results on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors have said.
Others to take a plea deal in the RICO case so far include attorney Sidney Powell, attorney Kenneth Chesebro and Atlanta area bail bondsman Scott Hall. Including Trump, there are now 15 co-defendants in the RICO case.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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