Convictions of Former Trump Lawyers Deliver Blow to Right-Wing Media Echoing Election Misinformation

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Trump-world is currently witnessing a wave of "guilty" pleas.

Jenna Ellis, a Salem Media host and attorney for Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to aiding and abetting false statements in the Georgia election subversion case. This marks the third plea deal in the past week, following those of election conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell and fake electors artist Kenneth Chesebro.

These guilty pleas not only harm Trump, but also the right-wing media apparatus that promoted and spread his election falsehoods to the public. After the 2020 election, both Ellis and Powell gained popularity in MAGA Media, as they cast doubt on the election's legitimacy and became heroes to Trump's supporters.

Now they are openly admitting to the public that their previous stance was incorrect. In a heartfelt statement delivered in court on Tuesday, Ellis acknowledged her failure to fully comprehend the intricacies of the 2020 election and expressed profound regret for her involvement in questioning the results.

"In hindsight, had I possessed the knowledge that I have today, I would have respectfully declined the opportunity to represent Donald Trump in the legal battles following the election," Ellis tearfully shared.

It is unfortunate that this significant admission did not receive much attention in the media platforms where she spread her dishonest statements. Matt Gertz from the progressive watchdog Media Matters highlighted that Ellis' plea deal was only covered for three minutes on Fox News until 3pm ET on Tuesday. Despite being frequently invited on Fox News after the 2020 election, the network suddenly lost interest in the former Trump lawyer.

As a result, a significant portion of the channel's audience, consisting of viewers who deliberately confine themselves to right-wing media echo chambers, will likely miss out on this consequential news. Instead, they will only remember the falsehoods she aided in promoting within the GOP's collective consciousness. This is regrettable.

Trump's allies are quickly discovering the stark contrast between the fact-free alternate universe of right-wing media, where they gained popularity, and the fact-based world of the legal system. Earlier this year, Fox News paid a historic settlement amounting to $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems for repeatedly spreading damaging misinformation that is now resulting in guilty pleas in a Fulton County courtroom. Despite initially expressing confidence in their legal prospects, Fox's attorneys struggled to present their case effectively before a judge. As a result, Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch made a last-minute decision to settle the high-profile defamation lawsuit to avoid a potentially embarrassing and even more costly trial.

The right-wing network conceded the case and publicly admitted that the court had found some of its claims about Dominion to be false. By doing so, they effectively acknowledged that they had broadcasted blatantly untrue statements about the election.

Unfortunately, in a world where facts are often disregarded and wild conspiracy theories are spread through media echo chambers, the courts have become the last line of defense against misleading claims. On Tuesday, Ellis experienced firsthand the consequences of this reality, joining a growing list of Trump allies who have succumbed to the uncompromising power of the law.

The question is, how long can Trump himself outrun the truth?