Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to cooperate in fake electors case
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Jenna Ellis at Atlanta's Fulton County Courthouse in October 2023. Photo: John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images
Jenna Ellis, a one-time attorney for former President Trump, has agreed to testify against her co-defendants in the Arizona fake electors case in exchange for the state Attorney General's Office dropping charges against her.
Why it matters: Ellis is the first of 18 defendants in the alleged plot to overturn Arizona's 2020 presidential election results to cooperate with the state AG's office.
The big picture: A grand jury indicted 11 electors who cast false votes for Trump in 2020 after now-President Biden won Arizona, along with seven other people involved in the alleged plot. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty.
- In exchange for dropping nine felony counts against her, Ellis agreed to "provide truthful information" to the Attorney General's Office and "testify completely and truthfully" in the case, per the terms of Ellis' cooperation agreement with the AG's Office.
- Ellis already took a plea deal in Georgia's case against the state's fake Trump electors.
- Kenneth Chesebro, one of five unindicted co-conspirators in the case who has also pleaded guilty in Georgia, has also been cooperating with the Attorney General's Office.
What they're saying: "This agreement represents a significant step forward in our case," Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press statement. "I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution. Her insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the State in proving its case in court."
Catch up quick: Arizona was one of seven states where Republican electors cast their votes for Trump after Biden won the states' electoral votes.
- The AG's Office described the alleged plot as a scheme "to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency" to keep Trump in office "against the will of Arizona's voters."
- In the indictment against the 18 defendants, the grand jury alleged that Ellis made false claims of election fraud in Arizona and encouraged state lawmakers to change the outcome of the presidential election.
- Ellis was indicted on charges of conspiracy, forgery and fraudulent schemes and artifices, as were the other 17 defendants.
What to watch: If she doesn't fulfill her obligations under the deal, she can be re-charged.
Zoom out: Prosecutors in Georgia, Michigan and Nevada have also filed charges over alleged false elector plots. And special counsel Jack Smith brought charges against Trump over his alleged efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.
- A judge dismissed the Nevada case, ruling it was filed in the wrong jurisdiction, which the state's Democratic attorney general has appealed.
The other side: "It appears that if the AG is willing to completely drop all charges for information from Ms. Ellis, those charges should not have been filed in the first place," attorney Kurt Altman, who represents defendant Michael Roman, Trump's Election Day operations director for the 2020 campaign, told Axios.
What's next: Several defendants have filed motions to dismiss the charges, which the judge will hear on Aug. 26.