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Former Trump attorney agrees to cooperation agreement in Arizona 'fake elector' case

Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis reads a statement after pleading guilty in Atlanta on Oct. 24, 2023, to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings in the Fulton County election subversion case.
John Bazemore
/
Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis reads a statement after pleading guilty in Atlanta on Oct. 24, 2023, to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings in the Fulton County election subversion case.

Updated August 05, 2024 at 16:53 PM ET

A onetime attorney for former President Donald Trump has agreed to a cooperation agreement with the Arizona attorney general in the state’s “fake electors” case.

Jenna Ellis, an attorney for Trump’s 2020 campaign, is one of 18 individuals charged in April for allegedly scheming to undermine President Biden’s victory in Arizona in 2020 and deliver the state’s 11 electoral votes to Trump.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that Ellis agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and is willing to testify in court. In exchange, the state will drop the nine felonies — including fraud and conspiracy charges — filed against her.

“This agreement represents a significant step forward in our case,” Mayes said in a statement. “I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution. Her insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the State in proving its case in court.”

In a statement, lawyers representing Ellis continued to claim she was not involved in the fake elector scheme.

“We are grateful the Arizona Attorney General’s Office completely dismissed the indictment against Jenna Ellis as she was not involved in the so-called ‘fake elector’ scheme,” attorneys Matt Brown and Matt Melito said in a statement. “Jenna was originally told she was not a target and her cooperation is her continued willingness to tell the truth.”

According to indictment, 11 of the individuals charged in the case — including former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward and state Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern — signed fraudulent documents claiming Trump won Arizona’s electoral votes. Other Trump allies, including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, also face charges in the case.

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Wayne Schutsky