Former Trump Legal Advisor Jenna Ellis Cries While Accepting Plea Deal in Georgia Election Case

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. In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, I believed that challenging the results on behalf of President Trump should be pursued in a just and legal way. I endeavored to represent my client to the best of my ability. I relied on others, including lawyers with many more years of experience than I, to provide me with true and reliable information, especially since my role involved speaking to the media and to legislators in various states. 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. I believe in and I value election integrity. If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse. For those failures of mine, Your Honor, 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. Thank you, Ms. Ellis, for sharing that all too often. I don't get to hear the perspective of the accused in these cases and so that's appreciated. Thank you, Your Honor. Is there anything else, Mr. Hogue, that you would like to have as part of the record? Ms. Ellis, I have a few questions that I have to go over with you. Do you understand the nature of this charge that has been re-accused against you? I do. You heard the rights that you would waive by going forward with this plea. Do you still wish to waive those rights? Yes. Are you pleading guilty today because you agree that there is a factual basis as outlined by the state to support this guilty plea? I do. Mr. Hogue, are you satisfied your client is competent and that this plea is understanding, voluntary, and that there is a sufficient factual basis to support it? Ms. Ellis, do you have a weapons carry license of any kind in this state or any other? I do not. Well, I find that there is a sufficient factual basis for the charges, and I find that this plea of guilty is knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently entered. Ms. Ellis, you've asked to be sentenced under the First Offender Act, which is a request that I will approve and I'll withhold adjudication. But I do have to notify you that you can't withdraw your plea simply because you don't abide by the terms of the sentence. And the terms of the sentence would be as negotiated and agreed to by both parties. On the sole count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, the sentence would be five years probation. You're to pay a $5,000 fine to the Georgia Secretary of State's office within 30 days of the entry of the final disposition in this case. You're to complete 100 hours of community service. You are to cooperate with the state and testify truthfully in any further legal proceedings in this case. And you're not to have any contact, either personally or through other agents, with the media or any co-defendants or witnesses, I believe, in this case, as was outlined. We will include the language that is sent to us subsequently from Ms. Young, of course, with Mr. Hogue, attached on that email to make sure that it is the exact language as agreed to by both parties. As requested by counsel, as a first offender sentence, this would be automatically sealed upon entry, and there'll be a behavioral incentive date of three years as well.