(ATLANTA, GA) – Jenna Ellis, the attorney for former President Trump and known conservative media personality, appeared in a Georgia courtroom last month to plead guilty for her participation in an attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results.
“I now take responsibility before this court and apologize to the people of Georgia,” said Ellis, who cried throughout the 25-minute hearing in a Fulton County courthouse.
Ellis is the fourth of 19 people indicted in the voter fraud case to take a plea deal with prosecutors. Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting, false statements, and writings to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse,” Ellis said as she fought back tears.
In exchange for the plea, Ellis will serve five years of probation, pay $5,000 in restitution, and perform 100 hours of community service.
As a first time offender, Ellis will also be required to write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, and testify truthfully in all hearings and trials against the other indicted parties, including President Trump. If Ellis completes probation without breaching the terms of her plea or committing another crime, her records can be sealed.
According to the terms of the plea, Ellis cannot speak to anyone else involved with this case until they are closed and must continue to cooperate with prosecutors. Ellis will also be precluded from posting about the case on social media.
The case revolves around a Dec. 3, 2020, Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing that Ellis attended, where Trump’s legal team falsely claimed Trump’s re-election was stolen in the state. Ellis was accused and pleaded guilty to assisting with the implementation of the hearings and, by doing so, attending and abetting in the making of Smith and Guiliani’s false accusations.
Rudy Guiliani and Ray Smith told the subcommittee that there were problems with mail-in ballots, voting by underage individuals, unregistered voters, illegally submitted mail-in votes, and votes by deceased people.
Ellis told the sentencing judge that during the subcommittee hearing, she believed the presidential election had been stolen and that challenging election results was in a just and legal manner.
“If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post election challenges,” Ellis said.
According to PBS, Ellis has been censured by the Colorado Bar Association since March. Now, as a result of Ellis’ plea, Guiliani is implicated in a state crime, according to CNN. Guiliani is accused of lying to Georgia legislators due to his voter-fraud claims.
In the released plea deal recording, Ellis said that when speaking to Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff,Dan Scavino, she commented that they were running scarce on reasons to challenge Joe Biden’s presidential win. According to Ellis, Scavino responded that they did not care and would not leave.
While President Trump called Ellis’ plea deal: “political persecution.”