Kenneth Chesebro, the attorney who helped orchestrate Donald Trump’s effort to recruit false electors to subvert the 2020 election, pleaded guilty Friday in a Georgia court to his role in the scheme.
Chesebro’s plea, to a single felony count of conspiring to file false documents, is the first criminal consequence for any of the figures most closely associated with Trump’s bid to upend Congress’ proceedings on Jan. 6, 2021, in part by transmitting the false electors to then-Vice President Mike Pence.
Chesebro’s guilty plea comes a day after another former Trump attorney, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors. Before their plea deals, Chesebro and Powell had been set to go to trial next week — a trial that would have forced prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga., to lay out much of their evidence against Trump.
Now, they won’t have to and instead will be aided by promises of cooperation from Chesebro and Powell.
No trial date has been set yet for Trump and 16 other defendants in the case.
Under the deal, Chesebro will avoid jail time and instead serve a sentence of five years probation, pay $5,000 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service. He will also be required to testify against co-defendants at any future trial and he has written a letter of apology to the people of Georgia, the judge said.
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