Trump may be done-in by the political philosophy of federalism. Since this Georgia indictment is a state charge, not a federal indictment, Trump cannot pardon himself should he win in 2024. Ironically, it may not be Joe Biden, Merrick Garland, or the “swamp” that gets Trump–it just might be the everyday people of a state far removed from Washington D.C.
Nevertheless, Trump has a chance to become the next president of the United States, which means he will put his hand on a Bible and take an oath promising to defend the United States Constitution.
One more thing: Since this is not a federal case, the trial is likely to be televised.
Those indicted include Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis.
Ellis, the former Colorado Christian University law professor and Trump election fraud lawyer, is all over this document (read it here). Included is her attempt to overturn the election in multiple states in coordination with Giuliani and Trump. She is also indicted for writing a memorandum claiming the Mike Pence had the constitutional right to stop the January 6th certification of the electoral votes. She better have a good lawyer. It is also worth noting that she is silent on Twitter today. This is unusual for Ellis–she normally tweets at a rate of once an hour. Ellis’s twitter bio is “a servant of Jesus Christ.”
This is a RICO or “racketeering” case. This kind of case is usually used to take down mob bosses. If you participated in two of the acts in the indictment, you are guilty of the conspiracy and go to jail. Learn more about RICO here. I would not be surprised if Ellis gets “flipped.” In other words, she could turn on Trump (and maybe Giuliani) to stay out of jail (five year minimum sentence). Politically, she is backing Ron DeSantis, so a flip is not out of the realm of possibility.
Here are the places in the indictment where Ellis is mentioned:
Act 2: On or about the 19th day of November2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI, JENNA LYNN ELLIS, SIDNEY KATHERINE POWELL, and unindicted co- conspirator Individual 3, whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, appeared at a press conference at the Republican National Committee Headquarters on behalf of DONALD JOHN TRUMP and DonaldJ. Trump for President, Inc. (the “Trump Campaign”) and made false statements concerning fraud in the November 3′, 2020, presidential election in Georgia and elsewhere. These were overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 8: In or about the 25th day of November 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI and JENNA LYNN ELLIS appeared, spoke, and presented witnesses at a meeting of Pennsylvania legislators in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. During the meeting, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI made false statements concerning fraud in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Pennsylvaniaand solicited, requested, and importuned the Pennsylvania legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. During the meeting, JENNA LYNN ELLIS solicited, requested, and importuned the Pennsylvania legislators present atthe meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. DONALD JOHN TRUMP joinedthe meeting by telephone, made false statements concerning fraud in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Pennsylvania, and solicited, requested, and importuned the Pennsylvania legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. These were overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 9. On or about the 25th day of November2020, immediately after the meeting of Pennsylvania legislators in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI andJENNA LYNN ELLIS appeared, spoke, and presented witnesses, DONALD JOHN TRUMP invited a group of the Pennsylvania legislators and others to meet with him at the White House. Later that day, DONALD JOHN TRUMP, MARK RANDALL MEADOWS, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI, JENNA LYNN ELLIS and unindicted co-conspirators Individual 5 and Individual 6, whose identities are known to the Grand Jury, met with the group of Pennsylvania legislators at the White House and discussed holding a special session ofthe Pennsylvania General Assembly. These were overt acts in fuirtherance ofthe conspiracy.
Act 10. On or about the 26th day of November 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI andJENNA LYNN ELLIS placed a telephone call to Speaker ofthe Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bryan Cutler and left Cutler a voicemail message for the purpose of soliciting, requesting, and importuning him to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 12. On or about the 27th day ofNovember 2020, RUDOLPHWILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI and JENNA LYNN ELLIS placed a telephone call to Speaker ofthe Pennsylvania House of Representatives Bryan Cutler and left Cutler a voicemail message for the purpose of soliciting, requesting, and importuning him to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 13. On or about the 27th day ofNovember 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI and JENNA LYNN ELLIS placed a telephone call to President Pro Tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate Jake Corman for the purpose of soliciting, requesting, and importuning Corman to unlawfiilly appoint presidential electors from Pennsylvania. This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 17. On or about the 30th day of November 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI and JENNA LYNN ELLIS appeared, spoke, and presented witnesses at ameeting ofArizona legislators in Phoenix, Arizona. Unindicted co-conspirators Individual 5 and Individual 6, whose identities are known to the Grand Jury, were also present. During the meeting, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI made false statements concerning fraud in theNovember 3, 2020, presidential election in Arizona and solicited, requested, and importuned the Arizona legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Arizona. During the meeting, JENNA LYNN ELLIS solicited, requested, and importuned the Arizona legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Arizona. DONALD JOI-IN TRUMP joined the meeting by telephone and made false statements concerning fraud inthe November 3, 2020, presidential election in Arizona. These were overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 20. On or about the 1st day of December 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI and JENNA LYNN ELLIS met with Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Rusty Bowers, President of the Arizona Senate Karen Fann, and other Arizona legislators in Phoenix, Arizona. Unindicted co-conspirator Individual 5, whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, was also present. During the meeting, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI made false statements concerning fraud in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Arizona and solicited, requested, and importuned the legislators present to call a special session of the Arizona State Legislature. These were overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Act 21. On or about the 2nd day of December 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI andJENNA LYNN ELLIS appeared, spoke, and presented witnesses at a meeting of the Michigan House of Representatives Oversight Committee. During the meeting, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI made false statements concerning fraud in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Michigan and solicited, requested, and importuned the Michigan legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Michigan. Duringthe meeting, JENNA LYNN ELLIS solicited, requested, and importuned the Michigan legislators present at the meeting to unlawfully appoint presidential electors from Michigan. These were overt’acts in fuirtherance ofthe conspiracy.
Act 23: On or about the 3rd day of December 2020, RUDOLPH WILLIAM LOUIS GIULIANI, JOHN CHARLES EASTMAN, JENNA LYNN ELLIS, and RAY STALLINGS SMITH III committed the felony offense of SOLICITATION OF VIOLATION OF OATH BY PUBLIC OFFICER, in Violation of O.C.G.A. §§ 16-47 & 16-10-1, in Fulton County, Georgia, by unlawfully soliciting, requesting, and importuning certain public officers then serving as elected members of the Georgia Senate and present at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meeting, including unindicted co-conspirator Individual 8, Whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, Senators Lee Anderson, Brandon Beach, Matt Brass, Greg Dolezal, Steve Gooch, Tyler Harper, Bill Heath, Jen Jordan, John F. Kennedy, William Ligon, Elena Parent, Michael Rhett, Carden Summers, and Blake Tillery, to engage in conduct constituting the felony offense of Violation ofOath by Public Officer, O.C.G.A. § 1610-1, by unlawfully appointing presidential electors from Georgia, in willful and intentional Violation of the terms of the oath of saidpersons as prescribed by law, with intentthat saidpersons engage in said conduct. This was an overt act in furtherance ofthe conspiracy.
Act107- On or about the 3lst day ofDecember 2020, JENNA LYNN ELLIS wrote a memorandum titled “Memorandum Re: Constitutional Analysis 0f Vice President Authority for January 6, 2021 Electoral College Vote Count” to DONALD JOHN TRUMP. The memorandum outlined a strategy for disrupting and delaying the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021, the day prescribed by law for counting votes cast by the duly elected and qualified presidential electors from Georgia and the other states, and stated, “the Vice President should therefore not open any ofthe votes” from six states, including Georgia, that were falsely characterized as having “electoral delegates in dispute.” This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
ONE MORE UPDATE: Ellis tweeted a 9:07 on August 15, 2023:
I ahould say this every day, but I’m reminded by this to thank you for all the hard work you do, tracking and reporting on this and other developments.
Thanks, John.