Former Trump Campaign Lawyer Sidney Powell Strikes Plea Deal in Georgia Election Subversion Case, Will Testify Against Trump
Sidney Powell, former lawyer for Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign, has reached a plea deal in the Georgia election subversion case. The stunning development came just before her trial was set to begin and is expected to have significant implications for both state and federal prosecutions against the former president.
While Powell had been persistently spreading false claims about the rigged election on social media as recently as Tuesday, she appeared before a court in Atlanta on Thursday and admitted to attempting to interfere with the election. As part of the agreement with Fulton County prosecutors, Powell will be required to truthfully testify against her co-defendants in upcoming trials, including Donald Trump himself.
Legal experts see this as a major breakthrough for prosecutors, as Powell’s cooperation could provide valuable firsthand testimony and evidence. Powell’s plea deal reduces her charges from seven felonies to six misdemeanors, with prosecutors recommending a probation-only sentence. Her co-defendant, pro-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set to begin on Friday.
One of the most notable aspects of Powell’s involvement in the election subversion case is her attendance at a December 18, 2020 White House meeting. During the meeting, extreme Trump supporters urged him to appoint Powell as a special counsel to investigate voter fraud and consider actions like declaring martial law and seizing voting machines. Other attendees included Michael Flynn, Rudy Giuliani, and Patrick Byrne, all known for promoting debunked election conspiracy theories. Giuliani, who was also indicted in the Georgia case, has pleaded not guilty.
The plea documents reveal that Powell’s testimony will focus on her direct involvement in breaching election systems in Coffee County, Georgia. She was part of a group of Trump supporters who collaborated with a local election official to access sensitive government data in search of alleged voter fraud. Powell also had communications with the Trump White House and other individuals in Trump’s inner circle during that post-election period.
The consequences of Powell’s plea deal are significant, particularly for Donald Trump’s defense. She will be required to admit her knowledge of illegal activities and the attempt to steal the election. This testimony could be detrimental to Trump’s co-defendants, including the attendees of the White House meeting and the individuals involved in the breach of Coffee County’s voting systems.
Furthermore, Powell’s guilty plea implicates other figures in Trump’s orbit, as she had numerous contacts with them. She may be compelled to provide evidence against these individuals as well. Her admissions in the criminal cases could also strengthen defamation lawsuits faced by prominent right-wing media personalities such as Tucker Carlson and Maria Bartiromo, who were in contact with Powell.
In addition to the effects on the ongoing state prosecutions, Powell’s cooperation could provide new evidence for the federal case filed against Trump by the Justice Department. Federal investigators can now seek access to any statements or testimony she provides to Georgia state prosecutors. With Powell being an unindicted co-conspirator in Trump’s federal indictment, she may also face potential federal charges, potentially leading her to cooperate with Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith.
The federal indictment characterizes Powell as an attorney whose claims of election fraud were privately acknowledged by Trump as sounding “crazy.” This further puts her at risk of federal charges, making her potential cooperation with federal investigators crucial. Trump’s federal trial, scheduled to begin in March in Washington, DC, could be significantly impacted by any evidence that Powell provides.
With Powell’s plea deal, the landscape of the Georgia election subversion case has changed dramatically. Her cooperation and testimony against Trump and other co-defendants raise the stakes for those involved and could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing prosecutions.