First co-defendant enters guilty plea in Trump Georgia election case
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Scott Hall, one of the co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election interference case, pleaded guilty to charges against him Friday, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Why it matters: Hall, a bail bondsman, was the first of 19 people charged in the sprawling election probe to accept a plea deal with prosecutors.
- Hall, who was indicted in August, pleaded guilty to "five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties," according to the AJC.
- Hall was also the first defendant to surrender to authorities in August.
- Trump and the remaining 17 defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Details: Hall's agreement includes five years probation, per the AJC.
- He agreed to testify truthfully, pay a $5,000 fine, serve 200 community service hours and a ban on activities relating to polling and election administration.
- He also "recorded a statement for prosecutors and pledged to pen a letter of apology to Georgia voters."
Catch up quick: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis unveiled the indictments against Trump and 18 others under Georgia's criminal racketeering law in August.
- Hall faced seven charges, including conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy, and conspiracy to defraud the state.
- Prosecutors had accused Hall of participating in a scheme to illegally breach election equipment in Coffee County, Ga.
- He and other co-defendants "aided, abetted, and encouraged" employees from the data solutions firm SullivanStrickler to access voting equipment inside the Coffee County Board of Elections Registration office, per the indictment.
Between the lines: Willis' indictment against Trump was the most recent, and he is scheduled for three criminal trials so far next year.
- The 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner faces 91 criminal counts at the federal and state level.
- The Fulton County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional background.
