The apology letters from the attorneys who pleaded guilty in the Fulton County election interference case have surfaced — and two of them were only a single sentence.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained apology letters from three defendants who pled guilty in the Fulton County 2020 election interference case. As part of their plea agreements, they were required to pen letters of apology.
Two of the letters were just a few words, handwritten on lined notebook paper:
“I apologize for my actions in connection with the events in Coffee County,” attorney Sidney Powell wrote in October.
Ms Powell, along with other co-defendants, was accused of playing a key role in the effort to seize voting machines in January 2021, following the 2020 presidential election and spurious claims from former President Donald Trump that the election was stolen.
Attorney Kenneth Chesebro wrote a similar statement: “I apologize to the citizens of the State of Georgia and of Fulton County for my involvement in Count 15 of the indictment.”
Mr Chesebro was accused of planning an apparent “alternate” elector plot designed to replace electors with those loyal to Mr Trump to be certified in Congress and place votes for him.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis — the prosecutor on this case — told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she’d prefer the apologies be shorter.
“It doesn’t need to be very long,” she told the outlet. “In fact, all I would rather is a sentence. But I think it’s important.”
Meanwhile, Scott Hall’s apology spanned nearly a page.
“I wish I had never involved myself in the post-election activities that brought me before the court,” Mr Hall wrote. “I have never before been in trouble with the law and I meant no harm to anyone.”
Mr Hall was a bail bondsman and the first co-defendant to plead guilty in the case. He was accused of attempting to illegally access voting machines in Georgia.
“Although I certainly did not mean to violate any laws, I now realize that I did and have accepted responsibility for my actions,” he continued. “I offer my sincere apology to the Citizens of the State of Georgia.”
In a 14 December interview with The Associated Press, Ms Willis raised the possibility that more of Mr Trump’s co-defendants could take plea deals. She is currently seeking an August 2024 trial date, meaning Mr Trump could be in the courtroom in the days and weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
