A lawyer who worked on Donald Trump's 2020 election campaign will dodge a potential jail sentence by cooperating with Arizona's Democratic attorney general, who's charged 18 defendants with election interference over their participation in post-election challenges. Trump hasn't been charged -- yet -- and is currently described as an unindicted co-conspirator.
According to the agreement, nine felony charges against attorney Jenna Ellis have been dropped in exchange for her committing to "completely and truthfully" testify, and to turn over documents that could help prosecutors trying to build a case that centers on what Democrats like to call "fake electors." These were Republicans who were encouraged by the Trump campaign to meet on Dec. 14, 2020 and sign a certificate asserting that they were "duly elected and qualified" electors, on the assumption that Trump had actually won the state's 11 Electoral College votes.
“This agreement represents a significant step forward in our case,” said Attorney-General Kris Mayes in a statement issued Monday. "[Ellis'] insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the state in proving its case in court...I will not allow American democracy to be undermined — it is far too important.” In 2022, Mayes -- who's lauded by leftists for being openly lesbian and seeking to turn Arizona into an abortion safe haven for people in other states -- defeated her Trump-endorsed opponent by just 510 votes out of more than 2.5 million.
The remaining defendants -- who've all plead not guilty -- have been charged with nine felonies apiece, including forgery, conspiracy and fraudulent schemes. In addition to the self-proclaimed GOP electors, they include Rudy Giuliani and former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows.
The Arizona cases aren't expected to reach the trial phase until next year. In June, lawyers for defendants filed challenges to the prosecution, saying it ran afoul of an Arizona law that, like similar statutes in other states, takes aim at what is called a "strategic lawsuit against public participation," or "SLAPP." A motion filed for charged Trump lawyer John Eastman asserted that...
"[Arizona's anti-SLAPP law] is quite clearly aimed at preventing public officials from using the criminal process as a weapon to punish and prevent speech on political issues...Public officials have the right to voice their disagreement through open discourse guaranteed by the First Amendment, but they should not use indictments to silence their opponents, as the attorney general has tried to do here.”
Ellis was also targeted by Georgia prosecutors. In October, she tearfully pleaded guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writing, telling a judge in an Atlanta courtroom that she regretted not having performed "due diligence" about the campaign's claims of election fraud. “If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges." She was sentenced to five years probation, $5,000 in restitution, 100 hours of community service and was ordered to write an apology letter addressing the citizens of Georgia.
During the 2020 campaign, Ellis described herself as one member of an "elite strike force team" of attorneys, and frequently shared a microphone with Giuliani. She reportedly urged Trump to try persuading Mike Pence not to open election results from contested states on Jan. 6, 2021.
