Anika Begay
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis reads a statement after pleading guilty in Atlanta on October 24, 2023, to a gross misdemeanor charge of aiding and abetting false statements and writings in the Fulton County election subversion case.
John Bazemore/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Hide caption
active caption
John Bazemore/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
A former lawyer for former President Donald Trump has agreed to a cooperation agreement with Arizona’s attorney general in the state’s “fake voter fraud” case.
Jenna Ellis, a lawyer for Trump’s 2020 campaign, is one of 18 people charged in April with plotting to undermine President Biden’s 2020 victory in Arizona and deliver the state’s 11 electoral votes to Trump.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that Ellis has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and is willing to testify in court. In exchange, the state will drop nine felony charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy, filed against her.
“This settlement represents a significant step forward in our case,” Mayes said in a statement. “I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation in our investigation and prosecution. Her insights are invaluable and will greatly assist the State in proving its case in court.”
In a statement, lawyers representing Ellis continued to maintain that she was not involved in the voter fraud scheme.
“We are grateful that the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has completely dismissed the indictment against Jenna Ellis, as she was not involved in the so-called ‘fake voter’ scheme,” attorneys Matt Brown and Matt Melito said in a statement. “Jenna was initially told she was not a target and her cooperation is her continued willingness to tell the truth.”
According to the indictment, 11 of the individuals charged in the case, including former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and state Senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, signed false documents claiming that Trump won Arizona’s electoral votes. Other Trump allies, including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, also face charges in the case.
Ellis pleaded guilty last year to a Fulton County election subversion case in Georgia.
