Sidney Powell Admits Guilt in Bid to Reverse Trump’s Georgia Election Defeat, Agrees to Testify

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Sidney Powell, an attorney, entered a guilty plea to lesser charges on Thursday, related to her attempts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. She became the second person involved in this expansive case to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution.

Initially charged along with Donald Trump and 17 other individuals for infringing upon Georgia’s anti-racketeering statute, Powell entered her guilty plea only a day before jury selection was scheduled to commence in her trial. She admitted to six misdemeanor counts of scheming to deliberately obstruct the conduct of election officials.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Powell is mandated to undergo six years of probation, pay a fine of $6,000, and compose an apology letter addressed to the state of Georgia and its citizens. Additionally, she has recorded a statement to be used by the prosecution and committed to providing truthful testimony against her co-defendants in subsequent trials.

Originally, Powell was accused of racketeering and six additional counts as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at retaining the Republican president in office following his 2020 electoral loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Prosecutors allege that she also participated in an unauthorized intrusion into the election equipment in a rural county’s election office in Georgia.

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Her plea transforms her into the most high-profile individual known to be collaborating with prosecutors investigating Trump’s post-election maneuvers. Her willingness to cooperate and engage in strategic discussions could potentially unmask the former president and shed light on his actions and communications in the critical period following the election.

Notably, this guilty plea signifies a dramatic reversal for Powell, who had been a major proponent of unfounded conspiracy theories about election fraud, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. She possesses valuable insights into significant events, including a post-election press conference she took part in on behalf of Trump and his campaign, as well as a White House meeting in December 2020 where strategies to influence the election outcome were allegedly discussed.

In court, Powell limited her comments to answering standard queries from prosecutor Daysha Young and the presiding judge. When asked to enter her plea for the six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to deliberately obstruct election procedures, Powell replied simply, “Guilty.”

John Fishwick, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, characterized Powell’s plea as a “notable victory” for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Fishwick also opined that Powell’s admission aids Jack Smith, the Justice Department’s special counsel, who has indicted Trump on charges of attempting to subvert the election. Smith’s indictment suggests that Trump privately deemed Powell’s baseless allegations as “crazy,” but nevertheless endorsed a lawsuit she initiated against Georgia, containing what prosecutors described as unfounded and outlandish claims.

Barry Coburn, a Washington D.C.-based attorney representing Powell, refrained from making any public comments on Thursday.

Powell attracted attention for her declaration in a Fox Business interview in November 2020 to “release the Kraken,” as she discussed an impending lawsuit to contest the presidential election results. Legal challenges she filed in multiple states were summarily dismissed.

Kenneth Chesebro, another attorney scheduled for trial, had not yet decided on entering a plea deal as of Thursday. The trial for Chesebro is still set to begin with jury selection on Friday.

In a related development, Scott Graham Hall, a lesser-known defendant, pleaded guilty last month to five misdemeanor charges and agreed to testify in future court proceedings. Steve Sadow, the chief legal representative for Trump in the Georgia matter, stated that he does not foresee Powell’s plea adversely affecting his client’s case.

Prosecutors assert that Powell, along with Hall and others, illegally accessed election equipment and contracted computer forensics firm SullivanStrickler to dispatch a team to Coffee County in southern Georgia. They are accused of copying software and data from voting systems and computers there.

Trials are still pending for the remaining 16 defendants, which include Rudy Giuliani, former New York Mayor and Trump attorney, and Mark Meadows, Trump’s former Chief of Staff.

Willis has been criticized for her broad indictment and the use of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law against multiple defendants. However, Fishwick stated that Powell’s plea bolsters, rather than weakens, the ongoing federal case led by special counsel Smith.

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Contributions to this report were made by Eric Tucker in Washington and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta.

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