Powell Pleads Guilty: Implications for Trump’s Defense
ATLANTA – Sidney Powell, one of former President Donald Trump‘s staunchest allies in alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, pleaded guilty on Thursday to reduced charges related to these efforts. Powell’s guilty plea could have significant implications for the former president’s defense.
Powell, the former attorney for Trump, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges of attempting to interfere with the election. Just days before her trial was set to begin, she admitted to playing a role in an unauthorized breach of Dominion Voting machines in Coffee County. As part of her plea agreement, Powell is required to truthfully testify against her codefendants, including Trump.
Tom Church, a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta, believes Powell’s guilty plea could weaken Trump’s defense. Church stated, “To have an about-face where now she’s going to testify as to her wrongdoing to use it against her codefendants is about as big an about-face as you can get. One of his top advisors, one of his top lawyers in the effort to overturn the election results saying ‘yes I knew what I was doing was illegal and so did Mr. Trump,’ she’s going to be a big-time witness for the state if Mr. Trump goes to trial.”
Darryl Cohen, a former Fulton County prosecutor, commented that it remains unclear how much damage Powell’s plea could do to a potential Trump trial. He stated, “We don’t know what it is the D.A.’s office wants from her. We know she is committed now, based on the plea agreement, to testify against the other defendants, or she may not even be called to testify.”
Powell is the second codefendant in the sprawling RICO case to make a deal with Fulton County prosecutors. Scott Hall, a bond-company owner, was the first. However, Powell’s potential cooperation is far more significant. Her testimony could be crucial for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and even Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal case against Trump.
The implications of Powell’s guilty plea extend beyond her potential cooperation. Church explained, “Not only could they charge her in federal court and use this as evidence against her on those federal charges. Now they could use her as a co-conspirator against Mr. Trump even if she’s not charged in federal court.”
In her plea agreement, Powell has been sentenced to six years of probation and fined $6,000. Additionally, she will be required to write an apology letter to the State of Georgia and its residents.
These recent developments have further intensified the legal challenges faced by Donald Trump and his allies in the election interference case. As the trial progresses, the implications of Powell’s guilty plea may become more evident, potentially shaping the outcome of the legal proceedings against the former president.
For more information on the Georgia election interference case involving Trump, click here.
To learn more about the RICO charges faced by Trump and his allies, click here.
Original Story at www.fox5atlanta.com – 2023-10-20 01:21:37
