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Amidst the alarming Israel-Hamas conflict and the deep political turmoil within the House of Representatives, characterized by a vacant speaker position and a state of stagnation, the recent guilty pleas in a Georgia courtroom seem almost insignificant, resembling news relegated to the second page.
But this week, two of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants have pleaded guilty, marking the second and third admissions of guilt in the criminal case against him. These pleas are related to Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election result.
On Thursday, Sidney Powell, a prominent figure in Trump's election challenges in 2020 and 2021, pleaded guilty. As part of her plea deal, the former Trump attorney will not be sentenced to jail time. However, she has agreed to testify as a witness and has pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors. These charges were downgraded from the original felony charges she faced, which were related to conspiracy to commit intentional interference.
Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney involved in the covert electors scheme, pleaded guilty on Friday to the felony charge of conspiring to file false documents. It is expected that he will not be sentenced to jail time. Another participant, Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, previously pleaded guilty for his involvement in unlawfully accessing voter data and ballot-counting machines at the Coffee County election office on January 7, 2021.
Trump and 15 other co-defendants are currently awaiting trial in the case, with trial dates yet to be scheduled. Trump has entered a plea of not guilty.
The Georgia proceedings, along with three other upcoming criminal trials in New York, Washington, DC, and Florida, as well as an ongoing civil trial in New York, contribute to a complex array of legal issues building up beneath the backdrop of the 2024 election.
Trump may be sweating the Chesebro plea more than Powells
Chesebro confessed his involvement in a conspiracy, specifically with Trump, Giuliani, and Eastman, aimed at forming a fraudulent group of electors in Georgia.
CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elliot Williams acknowledged that the Georgia case, initiated by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, faced criticism due to its inclusion of 18 co-defendants, including Trump. This aspect of the case could give the impression of political motivation.
However, Williams highlighted that the guilty pleas serve as concrete proof that crimes were indeed committed in Trump's effort to undermine Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.
"This ought to pour cold water on the notion that this was just a partisan witch hunt to target the president and his allies," Williams told Jim Sciutto on CNN Max.
Chesebros admission extends beyond Georgia
CNN reported that Chesebro, who pleaded guilty, admitted to fabricating and disseminating fraudulent Electoral College papers to individuals affiliated with the Trump campaign in various states, including Georgia. Furthermore, it was revealed that he collaborated with the Trump campaign in carrying out these activities. With the exception of one accusation, all other charges against Chesebro were dismissed, and he has agreed to provide testimony during the trial.
Powell was in key meetings with Trump
Just because Powells plea agreement did not mention Trump does not mean she might not be asked about him under oath, as CNNs Marshall Cohen notes:
Powell notably participated in a White House gathering on December 18, 2020. During the meeting, a group of Trump's ardent supporters urged Powell to appoint her as a special counsel to probe alleged voter fraud. They also suggested considering the implementation of martial law and signing executive orders to authorize the military's seizure of voting machines. Cohen highlights the significance of Powell's statements to Georgia prosecutors, as they could potentially impact the federal election subversion case being pursued by special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump faces gag orders in other cases
Judge Tanya Chutkan, presiding over the federal case concerning the subversion of the 2020 election in Washington, DC, issued a gag order. Trump is currently appealing this order, claiming that it infringes upon his right to freedom of speech. On Friday, Chutkan temporarily halted the implementation of the order.
Chutkan has pushed for the federal case to begin as planned in March, during the peak of the primary season.
Trump made these remarks about his right to freedom of speech while entering a courtroom in New York, where he is being sued for civil fraud by the state attorney general. In this case, he is also bound by a gag order, and Judge Arthur Engoron fined Trump $5,000 on Friday for violating the gag order when he failed to remove a social media post targeting a court employee from his campaign website.
Engoron said future violations could even ultimately lead him to imprison Trump.
I am willing to go to jail
As Trump continues his path towards securing the Republican presidential nomination, recent court developments serve as a significant reminder that he faces genuine legal jeopardy. Trump himself recognized this fact even before the threat of a gag order from Engoron in New York. During an event in Clive, Iowa, the former president openly discussed the possibility of imprisonment, asserting that he is prepared to go to jail if necessary for the sake of our country's restoration and the return to democracy.
There is some bizarre irony in the comments since hes charged in connection with trying to subvert an election, one of the fundamental pillars of democracy.
What about the Trump opposition?
According to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is running against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, he doubts Trump's willingness to face imprisonment. Christie expressed his frustration about Trump's absence from the Republican presidential debates.
Christie claims that Donald Trump is avoiding any meaningful discourse or deliberation regarding his actions. Time is running out for Republicans, including Christie, to confront Trump. The upcoming debate in Miami on November 8, sponsored by NBC, Salem Radio Network, and Rumble, does not yet have Christie's qualification.
Oliver Darcy, CNN's senior media reporter, contends that this arrangement leads to unexpected alliances. "While it is not surprising that the GOP, which shifted significantly to the right under Donald Trump, would choose Salem and Rumble as partners," Darcy explains, "it is quite remarkable that NBC News would agree to collaborate with these particular organizations."
Anti-Trump Republicans are urging certain candidates in the race to step aside, aiming to gather support around a single alternative. The forthcoming debate on November 8 is anticipated to feature a significantly reduced number of participants, possibly just a handful. However, it is unlikely that the former president will make an appearance, as Trump intends to host a rally in the vicinity to divert attention from his competitors.