Staff Reports
In the past week, three legal advisors to former President Donald Trump have pleaded guilty in an ongoing criminal case in Fulton County, Georgia. However, former prosecutor David Gelman stated that it is improbable that these plea agreements will assist prosecutors in securing a conviction for the former president. "I am aware that the mainstream media is relentlessly pursuing and reporting that 'Oh, Trump's inner circle is disintegrating.'" Mr. Gelman stated on Wednesday on NTD News' "Capitol Report": "I don't see it."
New Guilty Pleas Unlikely to Bolster Georgia Case Against Trump, Former Prosecutor Says https://t.co/6Ed2OQNYDF via @NTDNews
— Michael J. Luna (@MichaelJLuna1) October 26, 2023
On October 19, 2020, Sydney Powell, an attorney who advocated for the contestation of the 2020 election results, entered a guilty plea on six misdemeanor charges. Attorney Kenneth Chesebro entered into a plea agreement the next day and consented to a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit the filing of fraudulent documents. Tuesday marked the pled guilty of Jenna Ellis, an additional legal practitioner who advocated for President Trump's endeavors to contest the 2020 election outcomes, to a solitary felony charge of facilitating and supporting fraudulent statements and writings.
Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was additionally implicated in the Fulton County case, entered into a plea agreement last month, whereby he admitted guilt on five misdemeanor counts of conspiring to deliberately obstruct the execution of election responsibilities.
Mr. Chesebro, Mr. Hall, Ms. Powell, and Ms. Ellis have all consented to provide testimony in support of the prosecution's case against President Trump and the other co-defendants, in accordance with their plea agreements.
Prior to establishing his own criminal defense practice in 2017, Gelman Law, Mr. Gelman was the assistant county prosecutor in Burlington County, New Jersey. He hypothesized that the prosecutors offered these early plea deals in an attempt to persuade other defendants in the case to recant, thereby legally isolating President Trump. Mr. Gelman stated, "When I was a prosecutor, we charged everyone with as much as we possibly could, simply because we knew people would flip." "[The prosecutors' objective is to induce a state of perspiration among all parties involved, causing them to, if you will, break down and, if you will, flip out on the main defendant." This circumstance involves the former president."
Additionally, Steve Sadow, the Fulton County case attorney for President Trump, has mitigated the potential danger his client might encounter in the event that prosecutors summon Ms. Powell or Mr. Chesebro to testify. Mr. Sadow stated that President Trump's defense arguments would be further strengthened by the truthful testimony of Ms. Powell should the prosecution choose to summon her to testify.
According to Mr. Gelman, defendants frequently enter into plea agreements due to financial constraints that prevent them from meeting their legal expenses. He further predicted that a significant number of the remaining defendants in this case would likely follow suit. He stated that President Trump's legal team's response will be difficult to predict until they learn how the other defendants may testify. "What do they intend to provide?" That is the crux of the matter at hand. Mr. Gelman added, "And if I were Donald Trump's defense attorneys, keep in mind that they will have the opportunity to cross-examine all these individuals who have allegedly agreed to testify against him in exchange for plea bargains."
Regardless, the former prosecutor-turned-defense attorney contended that any co-defendants who enter into plea bargains will be unable to establish President Trump's criminal intent. "They will not reveal Donald Trump's intent," Mr. Gelman told NTD News. "Therefore, barring explicit statements to the effect that Donald Trump instructed you to perform tasks X, Y, and Z,' I seriously doubt they will have substantial evidence."
According to the indictment dated August 14, it is claimed that Mr. Chesebro advised the Trump campaign on its approach of nominating alternative slates of electors in the states where the campaign had contested the 2020 election results. It has been alleged that Mr. Chesebro engaged in communications with additional attorneys who were indicted in the Fulton County case, such as John Eastman and Ray Smith. According to the indictment, during a press conference on November 19, Powell and Ellis allegedly provided false information regarding election misconduct in Georgia on behalf of the Trump campaign.
On December 18, 2020, Ms. Powell allegedly engaged in a meeting with President Trump to deliberate on approaches to contest the 2020 election results. Among the matters deliberated upon were the confiscation of vote tabulation machinery and the delegation of investigative authority to her special counsel regarding accusations of voter fraud in Georgia. Ms. Powell was also accused by prosecutors of engaging in numerous illegal activities while inspecting election apparatus in Coffee County, Georgia. Furthermore, the Georgia indictment purports that Ms. Ellis was involved in endeavors to persuade legislators in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan to permit the selection of alternate slates of electors. She also authored two distinct memorandums that detailed strategies to cause a delay in the certification of the 2020 election results. Mr. Hall is charged in the indictment with a number of illicit activities in connection with his participation in the administration of Coffee County election equipment.
