In a dramatic turn of events, Sidney Powell, previous legal counsel for Donald Trump’s campaign, has entered a plea deal with the Fulton County prosecutors that will indubitably reconfigure the ongoing state and federal cases against the former president.
As of Tuesday of this week, Powell continued to propagate unfounded assertions across various social media platforms that the 2020 election was geared against Trump. But come Thursday, in an Atlanta courtroom, she conceded to her culpability in the attempt to meddle with the 2020 election.
This plea agreement stipulates that Powell must bear truthful witness against her co-defendants in forthcoming trials – a mandate that includes the former President himself.
Elie Honig, a renowned legal commentator expressed, “This is a truly monumental breakthrough for prosecutors,” elucidating that “halfway cooperation” has no valid existence within the justice system.
The impending trial seemed to facilitate the plea negotiation for Powell. Instead of facing seven felonies for her actions, Powell confessed to a less severe tally of six misdemeanors, with prosecutors recommending a sentence of mere probation.
The only other defendant to insist on a swift trial under Georgia law was Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer supportive of Trump’s cause, who has denied all charges and awaits jury selection this Friday.
Powell was among the attendees of a White House assembly on December 18, 2020, where impassioned advocates, including Michael Flynn, Rudy Giuliani, and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, encouraged Trump to anoint her as a special counsel to probe voter fraud allegations and perhaps, declare martial law.
Documents linked to her plea explicitly forecast Powell testifying about her direct involvement in accessing sensitive government data in Coffee County, Georgia, driven by her supporters’ futile search for extensive voter fraud.
Post-election, Powell communicated regularly with White House and Trump’s circle and ardently proclaimed to “release the kraken” of lawsuits to maintain Trump’s political clout. All such measures were dismissed as groundless.
Elliot Williams, a legal analyst, commented on Powell’s cooperation, “A cooperator can provide firsthand testimony about things they overheard, things they saw,” adding that prosecutors could rescind the deal if not satisfied with the provided evidence.
The most discernible outcome of Powell’s plea could be detrimental to Trump’s defense. Honig stated, “She’s going to have to confess that, ‘yes, we attempted to steal the election, yes, I knew it was unlawful, and yes, it was indeed a crime.'”
This plea deal exposes the precarious position of all entities linked with Powell’s effort to subvert the election outcomes. The case doesn’t get easier with a prime participant now assisting the prosecutors. Her confession implicates the group of Republicans who breached Coffee County’s voting systems in early 2021.
Additionally, Powell maintained contact with prominent right-wing media figures, elevating the proof against them and strengthening the defamation allegations against Powell herself by voting technology companies.
Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who charged Trump with federal election subversion, might discover new evidence courtesy of Powell’s plea. Any information she offers to state prosecutors may corroborate accusations against Trump in his federal trial set for March in Washington, DC.
Given that Powell was depicted as an unindicted co-conspirator in Trump’s federal indictment, it is suggested she may be coerced to collaborate with Smith, given the potential risk of federal charges.
