Criminal Justice
Trump lawyer Sidney Powell agrees to write letter of apology as part of plea deal in election-interference case
Sidney Powell, a former attorney for former President Donald Trump, attends a hearing with her attorney Brian Rafferty (far right, standing) before Judge Scott McAfee (far left) on Oct. 19 at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. Photo by the Fulton County Courthouse via the Associated Press.
Lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty Thursday to six misdemeanors in the Georgia racketeering case alleging election interference by 19 defendants, including former President Donald Trump.
Powell had been accused of hiring a forensic data firm to analyze data from Dominion Voting Systems equipment in Coffee County, Georgia. She pleaded guilty in an Atlanta courtroom to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties.
Law360, the Washington Post, CNN and Politico are among the stories with coverage.
Prosecutors recommended that Powell serve six years of probation, write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, pay a $6,000 fine, pay restitution of $2,700, and testify against co-defendants if requested. According to Politico, Powell will have no criminal record if she complies with all aspects of the plea agreement.
Powell’s lawyer said his client had already written the apology letter, and it has been turned over to prosecutors, according to Law360.
Powell is the second person to plead guilty in the racketeering case and the first close adviser to Trump to admit guilt. The other person who pleaded guilty was bail bondsman Scott Hall.
Powell’s guilty plea could affect her law license, according to the Washington Post. A Texas judge had tossed a disciplinary case against Powell for alleged frivolous election lawsuits earlier this year. But lawyers in Texas are subject to compulsory discipline if they are sentenced to probation for a serious or intentional offense.
Powell had been set to be tried beginning Friday along with another lawyer, Kenneth Chesebro, according to CNN. Chesebro is accused of writing memos supporting a bid for electors to certify Trump as the election winner.
Several other lawyers are also charged in the case.
CNN reports that Powell faces other legal troubles in the form of “massive defamation lawsuits” by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic.
