Conservative lawyer Jenna Ellis, a key member of Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign legal team, pleaded guilty to a felony in Georgia and subsequently agreed to a three-year suspension of her law license in Colorado for her role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Jenna Lynn Ellis is an American conservative lawyer and a former deputy district attorney in Weld County, Colorado. She gained significant national prominence as a senior legal adviser to Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Following the November 2020 election, Ellis became one of the most visible faces of the campaign’s legal efforts to challenge and overturn the results in several key states, notably Georgia. Her work involved coordinating hearings and making repeated public statements promoting claims of widespread voter fraud.
The Georgia Indictment and Plea Deal
In August 2023, Ellis was indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, along with President Donald Trump and others, on charges related to efforts to illegally reverse the outcome of the 2020 election in the state. The indictment included charges under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.
- Guilty Plea: In October 2023, Ellis reached a plea deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to a single felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She was the fourth co-defendant in the case to accept a plea deal.
- Sentencing: As part of the deal, Ellis was sentenced to five years of probation, required to perform 100 hours of community service, pay a $5,000 fine in restitution, and agreed to testify against other co-defendants if called upon.
- Public Remorse: In court, a tearful Ellis expressed “deep remorse” for her actions, stating she failed to adequately verify the facts alleged by other attorneys. She acknowledged that she “should have done… was to make sure that the facts the other lawyers alleged to be true, were in fact true.”
Legal Consequences in Colorado: A Three-Year Suspension
Ellis faced disciplinary action regarding her professional standing in Colorado, where she is licensed to practice law, concerning the claims she made following the 2020 election.
- Admitted Misconduct: In March 2023, prior to her guilty plea in Georgia, Ellis admitted during disciplinary proceedings in Colorado that she had misrepresented facts about the election in public statements.
- Law License Suspension: In May 2024, a state disciplinary judge approved a settlement between Ellis and Colorado’s Attorney Regulation Counsel, resulting in a three-year suspension of her Colorado law license. This suspension directly resulted from her felony guilty plea in the Georgia election interference case and her admitted promotion of false information.
Conclusion
The legal trajectory of Jenna Ellis serves as a powerful reminder of the ethical obligations attorneys bear when engaging in political advocacy, especially in matters of high public consequence like presidential elections. Her guilty plea to a felony and the subsequent suspension of her license highlight the serious legal and professional penalties for lawyers who knowingly or recklessly disseminate false claims. By accepting a plea and agreeing to disciplinary action, Ellis became one of the most prominent attorneys to face professional consequences stemming from the post-2020 election legal challenges, affirming that the duty of candor outweighs political loyalty.