Jenna Ellis, who was Donald Trump’s attorney during his 2020 campaign and is facing charges in Arizona linked to the phony electors conspiracy, has agreed to assist authorities in exchange for having her charges reduced.
Arizona’s attorney general, Kris Mayes, revealed the arrangement on Monday, including Ellis’ willingness to participate in interviews and produce documents related to the scam.
The agreement also stipulates that Ellis must “testify completely and truthfully at any time and any place requested by the Arizona attorney general’s office.”
“This agreement represents a significant step forward in our case,” stated Mayes, a Democrat. “I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution.”
In 2023, Ellis admitted guilt in the Georgia election tampering case, in which Trump was also charged. Ellis served as Trump’s main legal counsel from early 2019 until shortly after his departure in January 2021, and he played a crucial role in advising him on efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Ellis and other Trump associates indicted earlier this year initially pleaded not guilty after Mayes revealed an indictment relating to their attempt to alter the state’s 2020 presidential election results.
Ellis’ cooperation agreement indicates she met with prosecutors on June 17. A day earlier, lead prosecutor Nicholas Klingerman mentioned to the press outside a Phoenix courthouse that plea deals might be on the horizon.
“I think, in any other case, that we’ll make plea offers,” said Klingerman, adding: “I have discussed the possibility of a plea offer with at least one of the defendants.”
A month after the 2020 election, 11 Trump supporters gathered at the Arizona GOP’s headquarters in Phoenix to sign a certificate claiming to be Arizona’s electors to the Electoral College, despite Biden’s victory by 10,457 votes and the certification of his electors by state officials.
The state Republican Party documented the signing of the certificate in a social media post and sent it to Congress and the National Archives.
Those accused of being “fake electors” and their alleged accomplices face charges of fraud, forgery, and conspiracy.
Speaking to KPNX’s Brahm Resnik on August 2nd, Mayes expressed optimism about her office’s prosecution of the “fake electors.”
“We’re making progress in the case, and we feel good about the case,” said Mayes.
