Donald Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia election interference case
Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A co-defendant in former President Donald Trump's election interference case in Georgia pleaded guilty to five counts Friday and agreed to testify in future proceedings in the election racketeering case, which involves 19 defendants.
Scott Hall was the first of the defendants to enter a guilty plea in the case, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. He was initially charged with racketeering and six felony counts of conspiracy but pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties.
As part of the deal, Judge Scott McAfee sentenced Hall to five years probation, a $5,000 fine 200 hours of community service, and banned him from participating in future polling election-related activities. Hall also agreed to testify in future hearings linked to the case.
"You understand that you're pleading guilty today because you believe there exists a factual basis that supports the plea, and you are pleading guilty because you are, in fact, guilty?" McAfee asked Hall, who replied in the affirmative.
Prosecutors said Hall, a bail bondsman, was among several people who attempted to breach sensitive voting data at the Coffee County election office on Jan. 7, 2021.
"The ultimate goal of the criminal conspiracy was to unlawfully access all election machines in Coffee County, Ga., that were utilized on November 3, 2020, presidential election ... in order to obtain proprietary data or property of Dominion Voting Systems used in the administration of elections in the state of Georgia," a court employee told The Hill.
The other 18 defendants in the case, including Trump and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have pleaded not guilty to charges in the case. Jury selection for a trial involving attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, is expected to begin Oct. 20.
Fulton County prosecutors said Friday they may offer plea agreements to Powell, a former Trump campaign lawyer, and Chesebro, who allegedly wrote memos proposing a fake elector scheme.
"We'll sit down and kind of put some things together, and we'll reach out to defense counsel individually to extend an offer," prosecutor Nathan Wade told McAfee on Friday, according to CNN.
Powell faces one count each of conspiracy to commit computer theft, conspiracy to commit computer trespass, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy and conspiracy to defraud the state, and two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud.
Chesebro faces one count each of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer and conspiracy to commit filing false documents, and two counts each of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree and conspiracy to commit false statements and writings.
They each also face one count of violation of the Georgia RICO act.
