Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer charged in Georgia for his involvement in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Donald J. Trump, has accepted a plea deal, becoming one of three co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in the criminal racketeering indictment. The recent pleas by Chesebro and Sidney K. Powell, another lawyer charged in the case, signal a significant shift in momentum for prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia. Both defendants had originally opted for a speedy trial, but they changed their stance and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution.
Chesebro’s plea deal requires him to testify truthfully against the remaining co-defendants, including prominent figures like Rudolph W. Giuliani and Mark Meadows, who are scheduled for trial at a later date. The Harvard-educated lawyer was indicted for allegedly conspiring to create fake slates of electors pledged to Trump in Georgia and other states won by Biden. Despite his lawyers’ arguments that he had not broken any laws and was merely providing legal counsel to clients, Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents.
As part of the plea agreement, Chesebro was sentenced to five years’ probation and may request a reduction to three years if he complies with the terms. He was also instructed to write an apology letter to the state of Georgia and pay $5,000 in restitution to the Georgia secretary of state’s office. The succession of plea deals bodes ill for Trump and the remaining co-defendants, as it strengthens the prosecution’s case and indicates that the ongoing trial will no longer proceed as scheduled.
