Law professor Jonathan Turley says attorney Sidney Powell could wind up being a "dangerous witness" for both sides after her plea to six misdemeanors regarding efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election in Georgia.
Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, made his comments in Thursday posts on social media platform X.
He wrote: "The plea of Sidney Powell to six misdemeanors will allow her to avoid jail and only face minor fines. What she did not plead guilty to was the racketeering conspiracy...
"...That was the most serious charge and tied in former president Donald Trump. She agreed to testify truthfully. She is no longer facing a threat of prosecution and can now testify freely. That could make her a dangerous witness for both sides."
Powell, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state's anti-racketeering law, entered the plea on Thursday, just a day before jury selection was set to start in her trial, according to The Associated Press.
A judge agreed that she will serve about six years of probation, have to pay $2,700 in restitution and have to testify truthfully against her co-defendants.
She was initially charged with racketeering and the six other counts as part of a wide-ranging scheme to keep the Republican president in power after he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, AP reported. Prosecutors claim she also participated in an unauthorized breach of elections equipment in a rural Georgia county elections office.
If prosecutors compel her to testify, she could provide insight on a news conference she participated in on behalf of Trump and his campaign shortly after the election and on a White House meeting she attended during which strategies and theories to influence the outcome of the election were discussed.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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