For many Americans, Sidney Powell, 68, is the face of the “Big Lie”: the widely spread lie that Trump, not Biden, won the last presidential election. The lawyer appeared for weeks on TV channels like Fox News at the end of 2020 with all kinds of conspiracy theories about voting fraud. For example, it crafted the narrative that Dominion-brand voting machines had been hacked by left-wing forces.
In a court in Atlanta, Georgia, Powell pleaded guilty to six criminal offenses on Thursday. She admitted, among other things, to being involved in a robbery of a polling station in the Rural District Municipality of Coffey, where she wanted to find “evidence” to prove she was lying.
Powell faces a six-year suspended prison sentence and a $9,000 fine. She must also write a letter of apology, and more importantly, it is her duty to be a witness in the future.
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Thomas Roepe is the US correspondent for De Volkskrant. Lives in New York. He is the author of the book Laura H.
The latter represents a serious setback for Donald Trump. Powell is one of nineteen suspects in the criminal case surrounding Trump’s election interference in Georgia. Biden won there by barely 12,000 votes. The conspiracy, led by Trump, wanted to overturn this outcome. Among other things, Trump put pressure on officials to “find” votes for him.
Breakthrough for justice
Part of the settlement stipulates that Powell agreed to testify against each of her accusers, including the former president. Such testimony, coming from someone at the heart of Trump’s influence campaign, could mean a major breakthrough for justice.
At this time, Powell has not mentioned the former president by name in her confessions. The only accuser she explicitly refers to is Coffee County elections official Misty Hampton. Powell is the second suspect with Trump who has now pleaded guilty in the case. Scott Hall, who was also involved in the Coffee County burglary, has previously settled with the law. Hall may also testify.
The remaining defendants still insist on their innocence. The hearing against one of them, attorney Kenneth Chessboro, will begin on Friday. Like Powell, Chessboro asked the court in Atlanta to expedite his case. The others will likely appear in court this spring.
Avoid jail time
Sidney Powell avoids a potentially much harsher punishment because of her agreement with the judiciary. The other suspects, if convicted, face years in prison.
This does not mean that Powell is now free of all her criminal problems. At the federal level, a separate criminal case is underway over Trump’s interference in the election results, led by independent prosecutor Jack Smith. Powell is named as a co-conspirator in this indictment, but has not yet been tried. This may change in the future.
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