Three former lawyers of Donald Trump, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis, have pled guilty in the Georgia election interference case, which is the most sprawling of the four criminal investigations that the former president is facing. This is the most significant legal development against Trump that concerns his criminal indictments since the Fulton County D.A., Fani Willis, first indicted Trump and some of his alleged co-conspirators for attempting to overturn the election in Georgia.
As part of their plea deals, all defendants have agreed to testify during the trial of the remaining defendants in the case, the most notable of which is the former president. Due to their central roles in the attempts to overturn the 2020 election, their testimonies could prove to be very useful for the prosecution, making it much harder for the former president, and others who are involved, to escape jail time.
Some argue that the evidence may not actually be that damning, but it is important to remember that Powell, Chesebro, and Ellis were granted leniency on the condition that they provide testimony; if it is concluded by the judge that they are trying to evade testifying about certain matters that could further implicate the former president, that leniency could be removed. Therefore, the three lawyers have every incentive to testify truthfully.
In addition, there is another aspect of the plea deals that the prosecution is likely pleased by. Powell and Chesebro had previously requested a speedy trial, which was due to start in late October of 2023. The significance behind this is that they would be tried before the former president and the other co-defendants, so the defense would have something of a preview of the prosecution’s strategy, which would have allowed them to build a stronger case for Trump’s trial. This advantage has now been lost, as both Powell and Chesebro have pled guilty, and will therefore not go to trial.
The Georgia trial will likely not take place for some time, and will certainly occur after some of Trump’s other criminal trials will have already concluded–because of the sprawling nature of the indictment and the large number of co-defendants. Nevertheless, these three plea deals will prove to be pivotal in deciding the former president’s fate over the coming months and years.
In general, the court system seems to be closing in on the former president. A civil trial is currently ongoing in New York to decide the fate of his company, which serves as the center of his identity. Before the trial began, the judge ruled that he had committed massive fraud. Time will tell how severe the consequences will be. The case is not going well for Trump, with Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, who was convicted for financial crimes, providing an inside look at the machinations of the Trump Organization from the witness stand. Additionally, it has come to light that Mark Meadows, Trump’s Chief of Staff from March 2020 to the end of his term, has been granted immunity by Jack Smith, the special counsel who indicted Trump in a federal election interference case, in exchange for his testimony. This could provide the prosecution with everything they need, due to the chief of staff’s importance in the White House and proximity to the president.
