Attorney Kenneth Chesebro Admits Guilt in Attempt to Reverse Trump’s 2020 Georgia Election Defeat

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Attorney Kenneth Chesebro entered a guilty plea to a felony charge on Friday, coinciding with the onset of jury selection for his trial. He was accused of involvement in efforts to reverse Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

Originally, Chesebro was among 19 individuals, including Donald Trump, facing charges of violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. In a last-minute agreement, Chesebro pled guilty to one felony count of conspiring to file false documents, leading prosecutors to dismiss the remaining charges against him. This development followed a guilty plea by Sidney Powell, another attorney who had been slated for trial with him, to six misdemeanor charges a day earlier.

In Chesebro’s case, he received a sentence of five years’ probation and was mandated to complete 100 hours of community service. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, pen an apology letter to the residents of Georgia, and offer truthful testimony in any subsequent trials related to the case.

These multiple guilty pleas mark significant victories for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, as they allow her to circumvent a protracted trial involving just two defendants. The pleas also help streamline what had been a large and cumbersome pool of defendants.

Contrary to Powell, who was in strategic conversations with the former President post-election, the indictment did not reveal any direct communication between Chesebro and Trump. This limitation could restrict what Chesebro might offer in evidence that could benefit prosecutors in their case against Trump.

Scott Grubman, Chesebro’s legal representative, indicated that it would be at the discretion of the prosecutors to decide whether his client would be summoned to testify against other defendants. Grubman also expressed skepticism about the likelihood of this occurring.

Initially, Chesebro, a resident of Puerto Rico, was accused of multiple charges, including felony racketeering, as part of an elaborate plan to maintain the Republican President’s power following his electoral defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The indictment alleged that Chesebro orchestrated a strategy involving 16 Georgia Republicans who falsely certified Trump as the winner in the state.

Post-plea, Grubman asserted that his client has been wrongly portrayed as a mastermind behind a scheme to undermine democratic principles, arguing that the plea agreement contradicts such a portrayal.

For the prosecution, Chesebro’s guilty plea not only ensures that he acknowledges his actions but also removes the unpredictability of a jury trial. Moreover, it obligates him to offer testimony in future related trials, possibly encompassing communications with lawyers and close associates of Trump’s campaign, including co-defendant Rudy Giuliani.

Steve Sadow, an attorney for Donald Trump, suggested that Chesebro’s admission of guilt likely came under prosecutorial pressure, including the threat of imprisonment. Sadow also emphasized that he anticipates truthful testimony would support his defense strategy.

Chesebro was an unidentified, uncharged co-conspirator in a separate federal indictment against Trump, filed by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. This indictment accused Trump of illicitly attempting to overturn the 2020 election outcome and obstruct the peaceful transfer of authority.

Chesebro’s guilty plea came after prospective jurors for his scheduled trial had been sworn in and completed an extensive questionnaire. He had initially requested a speedy trial, as had Powell, who as part of her deal will serve six years of probation, pay a $6,000 fine, and write an apology letter to Georgia and its inhabitants. She also committed to providing truthful testimony against other defendants in future trials.

Another defendant of lower profile, bail bondsman Scott Graham Hall, entered a guilty plea last month to five misdemeanor counts. He received a five-year probation sentence and agreed to testify in upcoming proceedings.

All remaining defendants, including Donald Trump and his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, have entered not guilty pleas.

Grubman stated that the plea deal allows Chesebro to return to his family and professional life without incarceration. He noted that the agreement’s explicit recognition that the offense was not one of “moral turpitude” could enable Chesebro to continue practicing law.

Prosecutors have contended that Chesebro unlawfully conspired with Trump and campaign-affiliated lawyers to have a group of Georgia Republicans sign and submit a fraudulent elector certificate to federal authorities. It is also alleged that he coordinated with Trump campaign lawyers and GOP leaders in other states that Biden won to file fraudulent electoral slates. Chesebro had penned memos advocating for Republicans in those states to convene and cast electoral votes for Trump, providing detailed instructions for how this should be executed. In correspondence with Giuliani, he proposed strategies to disrupt and delay Congress’s joint session on January 6, 2021, where electoral votes were to be certified, advocating these methods as “preferable to allowing the Electoral Count Act to operate by its terms.”

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More about Kenneth Chesebro Guilty Plea

• Kenneth Chesebro Guilty Plea Details
• Overview of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ Cases
• Sidney Powell’s Guilty Plea in Georgia
• Anti-Racketeering Laws in Georgia
• Timeline of Legal Actions Concerning the 2020 Election
• Federal Indictment Against Donald Trump
• The Electoral Count Act and its Legal Implications