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Jenna Ellis, the former Donald Trump lawyer who was one of 19 indicted over allegations of breaking the law in a bid to reverse the 2020 presidential election result in Georgia, has crowdfunded over $110,000 for her legal defense.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Ellis and 18 others including Trump on August 14. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ellis accused Willis of "criminalizing the practice of law."
Polling indicates Trump has a comfortable lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, so the Georgia case could have a significant impact on the next presidential election. In total, Trump has been charged with 13 counts, which his legal team dismissed as "flawed and unconstitutional" in a statement. The former president has also pled not guilty to a range of charges concerning claims he orchestrated the payment of hush money to a pornographic actress, mishandled classified documents, and illegally tried to block Joe Biden's election win on a national basis, in separate cases.
As of 3:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Ellis' legal defense fund on the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo had raised $111,415 from 1,437 donors.
The fundraiser states: "This is the OFFICIAL crowdfunding support page for Jenna Ellis, created by her legal team.
"Jenna Ellis, former senior legal adviser and personal counsel to President Trump, is being targeted and the government is trying to criminalize the practice of law. Help her fight back and stand for the truth!"
Those supporting Ellis include Dinesh D'Souza, a Trump-supporting political commentator who donated $10,000. Ellis also made an appearance on D'Souza's podcast, where the host urged listeners to donate to her defense, commenting: "It doesn't really matter whether Jenna is a Trumpster right now, or whether she's a DeSantis person, she's on our side on this issue and we are all in the crosshairs."
Ellis has been charged on two counts, one of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer and the second for allegedly violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The latter charge, which all 19 Georgia defendants are facing including Trump, carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years if convicted.
Earlier this month, John Cardillo, a Ron DeSantis-supporting conservative influencer, claimed Ellis wasn't being supported financially in her legal battle by a pro-Trump Super PAC due to her favorable attitude towards the Florida governor.
Posting on X, he said: "Just found out from very solid sources that Trump's PAC won't assist Jenna Ellis with one penny of legal fees because she has been complimentary and supportive of DeSantis.
"So you can spend nearly a decade being unwaveringly loyal to Trump then get indicted because you worked for him, and he will abandon you and force you into bankruptcy if you change your mind about the best direction for the country. There is nothing remotely loyal or patriotic about that."
However, on August 19, Ellis claimed none of the defendants were being financially supported by Trump. She said: "I was reliably informed Trump isn't funding any of us who are indicted. Would this change if he becomes the nominee? Why then, not now?
"I totally agree this has become a bigger principle than just one man. So why isn't MAGA, Inc. [pro-Trump Super PAC] funding everyone's defense?"
Newsweek has contacted Ellis for comment via email and Facebook message, and Trump using the media contact form on his official website.
Trump is expected to surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday. On Monday, it was revealed the former president will have a $200,000 bond, and be banned from attempting to intimidate any witness or co-defendant including in "posts on social media or reposts of posts."
About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is on covering news and politics ... Read more