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One of Donald Trump's co-defendants agreeing to testify is a breakthrough in the Georgia election-rigging case, legal analysts said.
Bail bondsman Scott Hall struck a plea deal with prosecutors that requires him to testify against others, possibly placing the former president at risk, especially as Hall is accused of conspiring with Trump's lawyer to interfere in the election.
Trump is facing 13 charges in Georgia for his alleged efforts to overturn his election loss in the state to Joe Biden in 2020. He and his co-defendants face racketeering charges. Trump, who has claimed that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' case is politically motivated, maintains his innocence.
Hall, a former Republican poll watcher, was accused of trying to gain access to voting equipment in Coffee County and is the first of the 19 defendants to take a plea. On Friday, Hall, 59, pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy to interfere with the election before Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
As part of the deal, Hall will get five years' probation. He will also have to pay a $5,000 fine, testify against other defendants in the case, complete 200 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to Georgia voters. He is also banned from future election administration.
Hall admitted to traveling to Coffee County in southern Georgia to try to illegally breach voting equipment to look for evidence of a rigged election. Trump lawyer Sidney Powell is also accused of participating in the breach.
Ryan Goodman, former special counsel to the Department of Defense and an NYU law professor, tweeted that Hall's plea was a "breakthrough for the Georgia DA."
"That spells bad news for, among others, [Trump attorney] Sidney Powell," he wrote.
Goodman then posted a list of the Georgia indictment's alleged joint actions between Hall and Powell, suggesting that the plea will put pressure on Powell to also take a plea.
Former federal prosecutor, Harry Litman, also said that the plea was a breakthrough and "the dynamic prosecutors have been looking for from the start."
"Everyone now kind of looks around and wonders what the evidence that Scott Hall will bring to bear," Litman told American Voices With Alicia Menendez on MSNBC. "The earlier deals, [the] better deals. Scott Hall doesn't have to serve a day in jail."
He said Hall now has "a pretty big advantage" as he won't have to serve any jail time and the other defendants may now be jockeying for a similar advantage.
Trump faces four other criminal investigations, including federal charges over his alleged attempts to overturn 2020 election results.
Prosecutors are readying for at least two trials with 18 defendants in the Georgia case, including one that is set to begin on October 23 for Powell and Kenneth Chesebro.
About the writer
Sean O'Driscoll is a Newsweek Senior Crime and Courts Reporter based in Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. law. ... Read more