On Friday, Kenneth Chesebro, Trump’s legal adviser, reached a settlement with prosecutors in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia, regarding its 2020 election interfering case.
Chesebro was due to go on trial this week. He was accused, along with Donald Trump and over a dozen co-defendants, of trying to delay the transfer after the 2020 elections.
After 450 potential jury members had filled out a long questionnaire about what they would be asked, he accepted the offer on Friday as jury selection began. He rejected an earlier offer late last month.
As part of a deal, Chesebro appeared before Fulton County Superior Court judge Scott McAfee and pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to file false documents. He also agreed to testify as part of that case.
According to the terms, the Trump attorney will face five years of probation, a fine of $5,000, and 100 hours of community work. He must also continue to provide evidence and documents to the state.
Chesebro informed the court he had already written an apology letter as part of the agreement. The agreement was made under Georgia’s First Offender Act and followed roughly the contours that Chesebro had rejected in late September.
Scott Grubman was standing next to him and said that if he behaved well, his probationary period would be reduced to three years.
Chesebro, the second Trump lawyer to plead guilty in this case, is also the third defendant to accept a plea bargain with Fulton County prosecutors. Sidney Powell, a former Trump attorney, entered an unexpected guilty plea on Thursday morning. Both lawyers were to go on trial together in this case before entering a guilty plea.
Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, also reached an agreement with the government after pleading to conspiracy in the last month. All three have agreed to testify honestly in this case.
According to the indictment of Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, Chesebro played a major role in an attempt to use fake electors to ignore Electoral College votes in favor of Trump in the recent presidential election.
Grubman, speaking outside the courtroom on Friday, said that it was inaccurate to refer to Chesebro’s plan to subvert democracy. Grubman responded, “I don’t believe so.” When asked if Trump needs to be concerned, Grubman replied:
“He didn’t spy on anyone,” Grubman said, referring to his client.
He said that the agreement allows his client to go back to his family, and to avoid serious jail time.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the plea agreement.
In Willis’ massive racketeering trial, 19 people were accused of conspiring to sway the Georgia 2020 presidential election results. Chesebro initially pleaded guilty.
Trump, along with the other 15 defendants in the case including Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman have pleaded not guilty.
