His former lawyer Powell has pleaded guilty to charges in the conspiracy trial against Donald Trump in Georgia. This could make defense more difficult for the ex-president.
Sydney Powell is considered one of the central figures in the attempt by Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants to change the result of the 2020 presidential election in the US state of Georgia in the former president’s favor.
Trump’s former lawyer has now pleaded guilty to six counts, including conspiracy to intentionally interfere in the official conduct of the election. For example, Powell admitted that he played a central role in gaining illegal access to voting machines and copying the information stored there. She had always denied that before.
Confession incriminates Trump
As part of the settlement, Powell will, among other things, receive a six-year suspended sentence, have to pay a total of 8,700 US dollars (around 8,226 euros) and apologize to the citizens of Georgia. Above all, she has to testify in the trial against her co-defendants.
This could make defense more difficult for former President Trump. Powell was one of his closest advisors in the months before and after the 2020 election and vehemently and publicly promoted the lie of the “stolen election.”
Accusation of conspiracy
The 68-year-old is the second of the 19 defendants to plead guilty. Prosecutors in Atlanta accuse them of forming a conspiracy to change the outcome of the election in Georgia.
The legal basis for the charges is a law that is otherwise used to combat mafia organizations. The trial in Georgia is just one of four trials currently underway against former US President Trump. It is not yet clear when exactly the main hearing will begin.