Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty in the 2020 Georgia Election Interference Case
At this time, there is no set trial date for Trump or the remaining 17 defendants (Ibuki Tsubo/Unsplash).
What does this mean for the remaining defendants and former president Trump himself?
Article by Julia O’Keefe, Senior Election Correspondent
ATLANTA - Donald Trump’s former lawyer Sidney Powell has pleaded guilty in the ongoing Georgia election interference case, changing the direction of the prosecutions against Trump and the 19 other defendants charged with violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.
The jury selection for Powell’s joint trial with Kenneth Chesebro was scheduled to begin Friday morning, but after appearing in the Fulton County Superior Court Thursday morning, the trial took an unexpected turn.
Powell pleaded guilty to “six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties,” according to NPR. Per the deal, Powell will serve six years of probation, be fined $6,000, pay $2,700 to the state to replace election equipment, and write an apology letter to the state of Georgia.
This plea follows claims made this past Tuesday on social media saying the 2020 election was rigged against Republican President Trump. Now, Powell’s plea deal will require her to testify truthfully in upcoming trials, even against Trump.
Most notably, Powell’s guilty plea could hurt Trump’s defense.
“She’s going to have to admit that, ‘yes, we were trying to steal the election, yes, I knew it was illegal, and yes, it was in fact a crime,’” said CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig. “All of that is in play for her testimony against all of the 17 other co-defendants, including Donald Trump.”
With Powell working with prosecutors, she may have to hand over evidence against other defendants whom she came in contact with while working to overturn the election. She is also linked to Republicans who attempted to violate Coffee County’s voting systems in 2021.
Anything Powell provides to Georgia state prosecutors can be used against Trump in his trial, which is scheduled to begin in March in Washington, D.C. According to CNN, Powell was an unindicted co-conspirator in Trump’s federal indictment, meaning she may face federal charges, so it is suspected she will cooperate.
At this time, it is unclear what Powell will reveal if she testifies against Trump. According to the New York Times, “she could shed light on a number of gambits he undertook to stay in power despite the will of the voters.”
Powell’s statement brings up further questions in the trial, specifically: will any defendants follow suit and enter a plea deal? Either way, prosecutors appear to be confident that Powell will cooperate to bring justice.
“You don’t give a no-jail plea deal unless that person’s got something very good to say that will help your case against the others,” Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor challenging Mr. Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, said after the deal was announced per the New York Times.
Although much about the case remains uncertain, Powell’s plea deal brings undoubted threats to Trump’s case. With Powell as a cooperating witness, she is set to speak about any moves made to violate the nation’s democratic process.
At this time, there is no set trial date for Trump or the remaining 17 defendants.