What did Sidney Powell plead guilty to? How might that affect Trump in the election interference case?

Sidney Powell, who formed part of Trump’s legal team to push bogus election fraud claims, has plead guilty in the Georgia racketeering case prosecuting election interference in the state. She is the second of the eighteen codefendants indicted along with Donald Trump on criminal charges by a grand jury in Fulton County to make a deal with prosecutors and plead guilty.

The move by Powell came just a day before her trial was set to begin where she was facing seven felony charges brought by District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading the case against the former president and his codefendants. Hers are related to encouraging and helping people to tamper ballot markers and machines in an elections office in Coffee County.

What did Sidney Powell plead guilty to?

Instead of going to trial to fight the seven felony charges and risk years in prison were she found guilty, Powell cut a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to six misdemeanors counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties. She has agreed to cooperate with authorities and instead of jail time will serve six years’ probation, at the end of which her criminal record will be expunged under the Georgia First Offender Act.

She will also be fined $6,000 along with paying $2,700 in restitution to the state to cover the cost of replacing election equipment. Additionally, Powell will have to write an apology letter to Georgia and its residents.

Furthermore, she recorded a statement for prosecutors and has agreed to turn over documents as well as truthfully testify against her co-defendants at future trials.

How might Sidney Powell’s guilty plea affect Trump in the election interference case?

Powell was a key adviser to Trump during his efforts to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election. She was one of the most recognizable and outspoken individuals, perhaps apart from Rudy Giuliani, pushing baseless conspiracy theories that the election was stolen.

Powell is also the most prominent person known to be working with prosecutors investigating the plot and the former president’s role in it. She formed part of Trump’s inner circle and has important knowledge about high-profile events, including a late-night meeting that took place at the White House 18 December 2020.

During the chaotic meeting that nearly turned into a brawl, plans were supposedly discussed to seize voting machines in key counties and send in the National Guard to redo elections. Trump allegedly considered appointing Powell as a special counsel tasked with investigating the claims of fraud in the election. None of these steps were ultimately put into action by the former president as he tried to remain in power.

While Powell played a small role in the efforts to overturn the results in Georgia, she may be able to shed light on how far up the chain the plot went within Trump’s campaign. However, Powell has not agreed to cooperate with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations in the January 6 investigation, one of the three other criminal cases Trump is charged in. But, any of her testimony and statements provided to prosecutors in Georgia can be used by Smith to further his case.