Trump's ex-lawyer agrees to cooperation deal in Arizona 'fake voter' case

Updated August 5, 2024 at 4:53 p.m. ET

A former lawyer for former President Donald Trump has agreed to a cooperation agreement with Arizona’s attorney general in the state’s “fake elector” case.

Jenna Ellis, a lawyer for Trump’s 2020 campaign, is one of 18 people charged in April for allegedly conspiring to undermine President Biden’s 2020 victory in Arizona and hand the state’s 11 electoral votes to Trump.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that Ellis has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and is willing to testify in court. In exchange, the state will drop all nine felony charges, including fraud and conspiracy, filed against her.

“This settlement represents a significant step forward in our case,” Mayes said in a statement. “I thank Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution. Her insights are invaluable and will greatly assist the State in proving its case in court.”

In a statement, attorneys representing Ellis continued to maintain that she was not involved in the fake voter scheme.

“We are grateful that the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has completely dismissed the charge against Jenna Ellis, as she was not involved in the so-called ‘fake voter’ scheme,” attorneys Matt Brown and Matt Melito said in a statement. “Jenna was initially told she was not a target and her cooperation is her continued willingness to tell the truth.”

According to the indictment, 11 of the people charged in the case — including former Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward and state Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern — signed fraudulent documents claiming Trump won Arizona’s electoral votes. Other Trump allies, including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, also face charges in the case.

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