Current:Home > MyKenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources -MarketEdge
Kenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources
View
Date:2025-04-19 14:38:50
One of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case rejected a plea deal from prosecutors ahead of his trial this month, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Attorney Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 18 defendants charged alongside Trump in Fulton County case racketeering case, rejected an offer from prosecutors, the sources said.
The deal would have allowed Chesebro to avoid prison time by pleading guilty to one felony count of racketeering, the top charge in the indictment, according to the sources.
MORE: Jury selection to begin Friday in first Georgia election interference trial
He would have had to agree to testify against his codefendants -- including Trump -- in exchange for three years' probation and a $10,000 fine.
The terms of the deal also included a written letter of apology, the sources said. The deal would have been made under Georgia's first-offender act, under which the conviction would have been wiped from Chesebro's record after probation was completed.
Chesebro rejected the deal in late September, the sources said. He is facing seven counts after allegedly drafting a strategy to use so-called "alternate electors" to prevent Joe Biden from receiving 270 electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election, according to the indictment.
An attorney for Chesebro declined to comment to ABC News. A spokesperson for the Fulton County district attorney's office also declined to comment.
Chesebro's trial, alongside co-defendant Sidney Powell, is set to begin this week after the pair opted for a speedy trial. Jury selection gets underway on Friday.
Earlier in September, a Fulton County prosecutor indicated in court that they intended to extend deals to Chesebro and Powell ahead of trial.
"We'll sit down and kind of put some things together and we'll reach out to defense counsel individually to extend an offer," said prosecutor Nathan Wade when pressed by the judge.
Later that day, one of the 19 charged in the indictment became the first to accept a deal in the case. Scott Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties in exchange for immunity and a fine, and agreed to testify against Trump and others.
In early October, ABC News reported that a number of the defendants in the Fulton County case had received plea deal offers or had been approached about potentially making a deal by the district attorney's office, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.
The former president has blasted the district attorney's investigation as being politically motivated.
veryGood! (27556)
Related
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Average rate on a 30-year mortgage falls slightly, easing borrowing costs for home shoppers
- How long do mosquito bites last? Here’s why you shouldn’t scratch them.
- Average rate on a 30-year mortgage falls slightly, easing borrowing costs for home shoppers
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- US, Canada and Finland look to build more icebreakers to counter Russia in the Arctic
- ABTCOIN Trading Center: Market Impact of BTC Spot ETFs
- Houston utility says 500K customers still won’t have electricity next week as Beryl outages persist
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Biden administration goes bigger on funding apprenticeships, hoping to draw contrast with GOP
Ranking
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Biden administration goes bigger on funding apprenticeships, hoping to draw contrast with GOP
- Starliner astronauts say they're 'comfortable' on space station, return still weeks away
- Police track down more than $200,000 in stolen Lego
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Olivia Munn's Newsroom Costar Sam Waterston Played This Special Role in Her Wedding to John Mulaney
- 40 Haunting Secrets About The Shining: Blood in the Gutters, 127 Takes and the Twins Then and Now
- Trump wants Black and Latino support. But he’s not popular with either group, poll analysis shows
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Why Derrick White was named to USA Basketball roster over NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown
England vs. Netherlands highlights: Ollie Watkins goal at the death sets up Euro 2024 final
Europe launches maiden flight of Ariane 6 rocket
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Multiple children hospitalized in Diamond Shruumz poisonings, as cases mount
How long do mosquito bites last? Here’s why you shouldn’t scratch them.
Group sues federal government, claims it ignores harms of idle offshore oil and gas infrastructure