Trump-Backed Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in Georgia Election Case

Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer formerly close to Donald Trump, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a Georgia court, marking a significant move in the ongoing legal disputes around the 2020 U.S. presidential election. This is a significant setback for the former president and a significant triumph for Fulton County prosecutors, as it implicates Trump and several others in a scheme to sway election outcomes.

Chesebro's plea agreement comes just one day after another former Trump attorney, Sidney Powell, filed a guilty plea and pledged to assist prosecutors, per Politico. The two attorneys were set to go to trial, but their decision has changed the legal picture surrounding the 2020 election events.

Chesebro pled guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to file fraudulent documents. He was sentenced to five years of probation, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service, and the responsibility to produce evidence relevant to the case under the conditions of his plea deal. Notably, Chesebro has agreed to testify in future court sessions, which may prove crucial in the current investigations.

Chesebro was instrumental in the Trump campaign's attempt to skew election results by arranging the filing of unlawful slates of Republican electors in many states, including Georgia. In 2020, he drafted a series of letters explaining the procedures that pro-Trump voters should follow in their different states, although admitting that the Supreme Court's conservative majority would almost certainly reject their scheme, reports CNN.

The final goal was to offer then-Vice President Mike Pence with cause for delaying Congress' confirmation of Joe Biden's victory or possibly dismissing Biden's legitimate electors in favor of the fake GOP elector slates on January 6, 2021.

Furthermore, Chesebro's readiness to collaborate and testify against his co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, both of whom have pleaded not guilty, is a significant step. Chesebro and Powell's guilty pleas are undeniably damaging to Trump's legal defenses. They have brought to light the scope of the plot to destabilize the 2020 election, and these former Trump attorneys now stand as witnesses who could reveal critical insights into the campaign's inner workings, per The Guardian.

While Trump and those charged in the case maintain their innocence, the tide appears to be changing. However, Steve Sadow, Trump's lead counsel in the Georgia lawsuit, feels Friday's events will benefit the former president.“It appears to me that the guilty plea to count 15 of the Fulton County indictment was the result of pressure by Fani Willis and her team and the prosecution’s looming threat of prison time,” Sadow said. “However, it is very important for everyone to note that the RICO charge and every other count was dismissed. Once again, I fully expect that truthful testimony would be favorable to my defense strategy.”