Sidney Powell, a prominent conservative lawyer who backed Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in the election interference case against the former president and his allies in Fulton County, Georgia.
Powell, 68, who had been set to go on trial on Monday, agreed to co-operate fully with prosecutors as the case goes forward. She is barred from communicating with her co-defendants, witnesses, and the media until the case is over, Bloomberg reported.
Powell entered the plea to six misdemeanour counts of conspiracy to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties during a hearing on Thursday before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
The acceptance of a plea deal is a remarkable about-face for a lawyer who, perhaps more than anyone else, strenuously pushed baseless conspiracy theories about a stolen election in the face of extensive evidence to the contrary.
The district attorney’s office said they were recommending that Powell face a sentence of six years of probation – 12 months per count – and a $6,000 fine and $2,700 in restitution. She will also be required to write an apology letter to the citizens of the state of Georgia.
As a special condition of her guilty plea, Powell agreed to provide a full, recorded statement to the government, which the prosecutor told the judge happened on Wednesday night.
Powell had been set to stand trial on charges that she was part of a criminal racketeering enterprise along with Mr Trump and other high-profile allies of the former president following the 2020 election.
The trial is still set to begin for her co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer who had worked with Trump’s campaign and is accused of illegally trying to interfere with the election results and overturn President Joe Biden’s wins in battleground states.
Trump co-defendants mugshots – in pictures
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All the mugshots taken at Fulton County Jail. AFP -
Rudy Giuliani, who served as former US president Donald Trump's personal lawyer. Reuters -
Sidney Powell, Trump campaign lawyer. Reuters -
Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. AP -
Trump legal team member Jenna Ellis. Reuters -
Ray Smith, a lawyer who previously represented Mr Trump in Georgia. Reuters -
Republican poll watcher Scott Hall. Reuters -
Mr Trump's former lawyer John Eastman. Reuters -
Robert Cheeley. Reuters -
Harrison Floyd, executive director of Black Voices For Trump. AFP -
Michael Roman. Reuters -
Jeffrey Clark. Reuters -
Misty Hampton. Reuters -
Trevian Kutti. Reuters -
Shawn Still. Reuters. -
Stephen Cliffgard Lee. Reuters. -
Cathleen Latham. PA
