Current:Home > reviewsKenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources -CryptoBase
Kenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources
View
Date:2025-04-25 21:50:24
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! (38524)
Related
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Trump ally Steve Bannon must surrender to prison by July 1 to start contempt sentence, judge says
- Giraffe hoists 2-year-old into the air at drive-thru safari park: My heart stopped
- Brittany Mahomes Shares “Sad” Update on Her and Patrick’s Future Family Pets
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- GOP backers of 3 initiatives sue to keep their fiscal impact off the November ballot
- Storms pummel US, killing a toddler and injuring others as more severe weather is expected
- SpaceX launch livestream: How to watch Starship's fourth test flight
- Jamaica's Kishane Thompson more motivated after thrilling 100m finish against Noah Lyles
- This underused Social Security move will boost the average check by $460 in 3 years
Ranking
- Matt Damon remembers pal Robin Williams: 'He was a very deep, deep river'
- Alaska set to limit daily number of cruise ship passengers who can visit Juneau
- Alaska set to limit daily number of cruise ship passengers who can visit Juneau
- GOP backers of 3 initiatives sue to keep their fiscal impact off the November ballot
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Gunman who tried to attack U.S. Embassy in Lebanon shot and captured by Lebanese forces
- Lakers conduct a public coaching search, considering Redick and Hurley, in hopes of pleasing LeBron
- McDonald's loses Big Mac trademark as EU court sides with Irish rival Supermac's
Recommendation
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
How Brittany Cartwright Really Feels About Jax Taylor Dating Again After Their Breakup
Powerball winning numbers for June 5 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $206 million
General Mills turned blind eye to decades of racism at Georgia plant, Black workers allege
Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
Gunman who tried to attack U.S. Embassy in Lebanon shot and captured by Lebanese forces
'Splashdown confirmed!' SpaceX Starship successful in fourth test launch
Levi Wright’s Mom Shares Gut-Wrenching Final Moments With 3-Year-Old Before Toy Tractor Accident