Attorney Jenna Ellis, once a steadfast media defender of Donald Trump and his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, pleaded guilty today in the Georgia election case.
Ellis, who was a former legal adviser to Trump, pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writing.
She was sentenced to five years probation, $5,000 restitution and 100 hours of community service.
In court, with her voice quavering, Ellis said that she failed to do her “due diligence” in investigating the claims that the election was rigged.
“I believe in and I value election integrity,” Ellis said. “If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse.”
She told the judge that she had taken responsibility already before the Colorado Bar Association, which has censured her. “I now take responsibility before this court and apologize to the people of Georgia.”
Ellis is the fourth defendant in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to plead guilty in the case. In August, Willis brought racketeering charges against Trump and 18 other defendants for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state, which was won by Joe Biden. Two other attorneys who were part of the Trump team’s effort, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty last week.
As part of her plea deal, Ellis implicated Rudy Giuliani, another defendant, as he made unfounded claims of voter fraud to Georgia legislators. As part of her sentence, Eillis is restricted from making posts on social media platforms about the case.
Trump pleaded not guilty to the Georgia charges, one of four cases where he faces criminal indictments. The former president today is in a New York courtroom where he and his companies are in the midst of a civil bank fraud trail. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, is expected to testify.
Ellis had broken with Trump as the 2024 election campaign approached, and she endorsed one of his rivals for the nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
