Trump’s “Nesting Doll of Criminal Lawyers”: Yet Another Trump Lawyer Pleads Guilty in Georgia

Jo ShawNov 3, 2023

Minute Read

Trump’s lawyers in the Georgia racketeering trial have been falling over each other to strike deals with prosecutors. Jenna Ellis, Trump’s campaign lawyer, is the latest in line to flip and enter a guilty plea in an agreement made with the prosecution. Who will be the next to crumble?

Ellis Was Hired as Legal Advisor

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In November 2019, Ellis began her role as a senior legal adviser for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. As part of his efforts to contest the 2020 presidential election results, Trump introduced a legal team including Ellis, Joseph diGenova, Victoria Toensing, Sidney Powell, and the team leader, Rudy Giuliani.

“Elite Strike Force” Team

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A few weeks following the 2020 Election Day, Ellis delivered a speech at the Republican National Committee’s Headquarters, sharing the stage with Powell and Giuliani. Giuliani asserted that the three of them were representing Trump and his campaign. During her address, Ellis proclaimed the formation of an “elite strike force team” dedicated to supporting the former President’s efforts to demonstrate that the election had been fraudulently taken from Trump.

Ellis Felt Deep Remorse

Jenna Ellis has become the latest of Trump’s attorneys to plead guilty to felony charges over efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. In a statement to the court, Ellis tearfully expressed her “deep remorse.”

Pleads Guilty to One Felony Count

Ellis entered a guilty plea for a single felony charge related to aiding and abetting false statements and writings. Initially, she had been accused of multiple felonies, including violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, among others.

Sentenced and Fined

A five-year probation term was imposed on the former Trump campaign lawyer, along with an order to pay $5,000 in restitution.

Allegedly Planned to Stall January 6 Proceedings

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There are allegations that she was part of planning efforts to disrupt and delay the certification proceeding on January 6. If she hadn’t reached a plea agreement, these actions might have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence.

Ellis Requested to Deliver a Statement

Ellis requested to deliver a statement to the citizens of Georgia and the court. “Thank you, Your Honor, for the opportunity to address the court. As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously, and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings,” Ellis began.

“I Relied on Others”

She went on to state how she wanted to challenge the election results in “a just and legal way” but then said she had done what she did due to her reliance on others. “I relied on others, including lawyers with many more years of experience than I, to provide me with true and reliable information,” Ellis continued.

Ellis Failed to Carry Out Due Diligence

“What I did not do but should have done, Your Honor, was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true were, in fact true. In the frenetic pace of attempting to raise challenges to the election in several states, including Georgia, I failed to do my due diligence,” Ellis told the judge. “I believe in, and I value election integrity,” she continued.

Ellis Would Have Declined to Represent Trump

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Ellis then concluded her statement by saying in hindsight, she would not have represented Donald Trump, adding, “I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse for those failures of mine, Your Honor,”

Ellis Apologized to Georgia Citizens

Ellis cried as she delivered her statement and then apologized for her actions. “I have taken responsibility already before the Colorado bar who censured me, and I now take responsibility before this court and apologize to the people of Georgia. Thank you.”

Special Conditions Come With Deal

Ellis’ plea agreement does not mark the end of her involvement in the trial. Special conditions are attached to the deals Ellis and two other lawyers made in their negotiations with prosecutors.

Truthful Testimony Is a Condition

As part of their agreement, a fundamental condition is that they must provide truthful testimony during any hearings or trials involving their co-defendants. Additionally, they are prohibited from communicating with co-defendants, witnesses, or the media until all cases have been resolved.

Provision of Additional Recorded Statements

Trump’s deal-making lawyers must also continue to provide additional recorded statements and affidavits to the state as required and provide any requested documents or evidence.

Full Cooperation With Prosecutors Is Required

The special conditions also require the lawyers to maintain their full cooperation with prosecutors, participate in interviews for evidentiary hearings, and assist with pretrial matters.

Trump Doesn’t Know Anything

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The former President was asked by a reporter outside a New York courtroom what he thought of Ellis’ plea deal. “Don’t know anything, we’re totally innocent of everything, that’s political persecution is all it is,” said Trump.

Trump’s “Nestling Doll of Criminal Lawyers”

In response to Ellis’ guilty plea, one user posted online, “It’s like a nesting doll of criminal lawyers.”

Attorneys Need Attorneys

Another user posted, “MAGA, Making Attorneys Get Attorneys.” “Yeah, this one is a big deal because, unlike the other two big names, her day in court wasn’t imminent but still months away. This tells me it wasn’t an “I’m desperate because I’m about to lose my case” but “I’m desperate because there are only so many plea deals, and I don’t want to be the last one left holding the bag,” said another user.