Guilty Plea Entered by Trump Co-Defendant in Georgia Election Case
In the ongoing Georgia 2020 Election case, Scott Hall, a co-defendant alongside Former President Donald Trump, has become the first to enter a guilty plea.
During a video court appearance on Friday, Hall negotiated a plea with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, admitting guilt to five misdemeanor charges. If he adheres to the stipulated terms, he will face five years of probation.
Hall has also committed to providing truthful testimony in related court proceedings, including potential trials of co-defendants, as requested by the District Attorney's office. This was confirmed during the hearing when the DA's office inquired if he understood the conditions of his probation, to which he responded affirmatively.
Hall, 59, confessed to five counts of conspiracy to intentionally interfere with the performance of an election. However, he was initially indicted on more severe charges, including violation of the Georgia RICO Act, multiple counts of conspiracy related to election fraud, computer theft, computer trespass, computer invasion of privacy, and defrauding the state.
In a previous incident, Hall was accused in August of "racketeering and loitering" in a restricted area of an Atlanta elections office during a breach of voting systems in January 2021. The indictment alleges that Hall, along with other co-defendants, facilitated workers from the forensics firm SullivanStrickler in accessing voting equipment at the Coffee County Board of Elections Registration office.
Initially, Hall faced charges of racketeering and six counts of felony conspiracy, with a bond set at $10,000.
As part of the plea deal's conditions, Hall is required to pay a $5,000 fine, complete 200 hours of community service, pen an apology letter to the state addressing his actions, and furnish the DA's office with a recorded statement detailing the events.
Meanwhile, Former President Trump and the remaining 18 co-defendants have all pled not guilty in the case, which centers on alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.