Current:Home > FinanceKenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources -BrightFuture Investments
Kenneth Chesebro rejected plea offer ahead of Georgia election trial: Sources
Burley Garcia View
Date:2025-04-10 13:51:57
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! (4652)
Related
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- 90 Day Fiancé’s Darcey Silva Marries Georgi Rusev in Private Ceremony
- Percentage of TikTok users who get their news from the app has nearly doubled since 2020, new survey shows
- Massachusetts lawmakers fail to approve $250M in emergency shelter aid
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Thousands of Starbucks workers walk off the job in Red Cup Rebellion, union says
- 5 tennis players were suspended for match-fixing in a case tied to a Belgian syndicate
- Lukas Gage Makes First Public Appearance Since Chris Appleton Divorce Filing
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- The Oakland Athletics' owner failed miserably and MLB is selling out fans with Las Vegas move
Ranking
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Scary TV truth: Spirited original British 'Ghosts UK' is better than American 'Ghosts'
- Building partially collapses in southern Russia, sparking search for any trapped survivors
- Dog who survived 72 days in mountains after owner’s death is regaining weight and back on hiking trails
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Canadian man convicted of murder for killing 4 Muslim family members with his pickup
- Leonid meteor showers peak this week. Here's where they'll be visible and how to see them.
- PG&E bills will go up by more than $32 per month next year in part to pay for wildfire protections
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Aid to Gaza halted with communications down for a second day, as food and water supplies dwindle
MLB cancels 2025 Paris games after failing to find promoter, AP sources say
Swifties, Travis Kelce Is Now in the Singing Game: Listen to His Collab With Brother Jason
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Atlanta to host 2025 MLB All-Star Game after losing 2021 game over objections to voting law
Will Captain Sandy Yawn Get Married on Below Deck Mediterranean? She Says...
EU calls on China to stop building coal plants and contribute to a climate fund for poor nations