Trump ally Sidney Powell pleads guilty to conspiracy charges in Georgia 2020 election case

Sidney Powell, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts related to conspiracy charges in the Georgia 2020 election case.

The plea agreement was reached in Fulton County, Georgia, and was finalized in the Superior Court of Fulton County in Atlanta. Powell has agreed to testify against any co-defendants, must pay a $6,000 fine, $2,700 in restitution to the state of Georgia, and serve six years on probation.

Powell, known for her involvement in pushing unfounded claims of election fraud and foreign interference in the 2020 election, had initially faced seven charges but had pleaded not guilty. This plea comes just before she was set to go on trial alongside co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro, who has pleaded not guilty. Chesebro’s trial is scheduled to begin soon.

Powell’s guilty plea specifically pertains to a conspiracy involving her coordination with a data company to access election data in Coffee County, Georgia, with the intent of tampering with electronic ballot markers and tabulating machines. She is also barred from communicating with co-defendants, witnesses, and media until the case is closed against all defendants and must provide documents to prosecutors.

This development may have implications for the special counsel’s federal case against Trump in Washington, D.C. Powell, who was identified as “Co-conspirator 3” in Trump’s federal indictment related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, could become a crucial witness if she cooperates with the special counsel, testifying about what Trump may have said regarding election plans.

Trump and his co-defendants have consistently pleaded not guilty and claimed political motivation in the ongoing prosecutions against them.