Former United States President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer on Thursday (Oct 19) pleaded guilty to assisting Trump's efforts to rescind his election defeat in the state of Georgia.&nbsp;

The lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, a misdemeanour charge. She also agreed to testify against Trump and the other 16 co-defendants in the case if prosecutors ask her to.

This is one of the four concurrent criminal cases that the former United States president is facing.&nbsp;

Powell's plea came days before she was scheduled to appear in the court for trial, beginning on Monday (Oct 23) on charges including racketeering and conspiracy to commit election fraud.

She admitted to conspiring to unlawfully gain access to secure election machines in January 2021, in rural Coffee County in southeastern Georgia. The plea agreement calls for her to be sentenced to six years of probation. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Following the 2020 presidential elections, Powell represented Trump and also helped disseminate false claims that the election had been tainted by an overall voter scam.&nbsp;

She also threatened to "release the Kraken," a mythological sea monster.&nbsp;

As per news agency Reuters reports, the prosecutor said that Powell and other co-defendants fiddled with electronic ballot markers and accessed data belonging to Dominion Voting Systems, the voting machine company that Powell and other Trump allies falsely claimed helped rig the election against Trump.

Powell was scheduled to be tried alongside Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer who assisted Trump following the election.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Former United States President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer on Thursday (Oct 19) pleaded guilty to assisting Trump's efforts to rescind his election defeat in the state of Georgia.

Former United States President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer on Thursday (Oct 19) pleaded guilty to assisting Trump's efforts to rescind his election defeat in the state of Georgia. The lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, a misdemeanour charge. She also agreed to testify against Trump and the other 16 co-defendants in the case if prosecutors ask her to. This is one of the four concurrent criminal cases that the former United States president is facing. Powell's plea came days before she was scheduled to appear in the court for trial, beginning on Monday (Oct 23) on charges including racketeering and conspiracy to commit election fraud. She admitted to conspiring to unlawfully gain access to secure election machines in January 2021, in rural Coffee County in southeastern Georgia. The plea agreement calls for her to be sentenced to six years of probation. Following the 2020 presidential elections, Powell represented Trump and also helped disseminate false claims that the election had been tainted by an overall voter scam. She also threatened to "release the Kraken," a mythological sea monster. As per news agency Reuters reports, the prosecutor said that Powell and other co-defendants fiddled with electronic ballot markers and accessed data belonging to Dominion Voting Systems, the voting machine company that Powell and other Trump allies falsely claimed helped rig the election against Trump. Powell was scheduled to be tried alongside Kenneth Chesebro, another lawyer who assisted Trump following the election. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Trump's former lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty, agrees to testify in Georgia case

Twitter has banned President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn and pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell as part of a purge of QAnon accounts.

QAnon is a baseless belief, born on the internet, that Trump has been secretly fighting deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex-trafficking ring.

Social media companies have been under intensified pressure to crack down on hate speech, especially after Wednesday's attack on the US Capitol.

Dozens of QAnon social media accounts were hyping up January 6 in the days leading up to a Washington DC rally for Trump, expressing hope that President-elect Joe Biden's victory would be overturned.

Twitter said in an email statement on Friday: "Given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behaviour in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content."

The company says that when it determines a group or campaign is engaged in "coordinated harmful activity", it may suspend accounts that it finds primarily encourages that behaviour. 
&nbsp;

Twitter has banned President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn and pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell as part of a purge of QAnon accounts.

Twitter has banned President Donald Trump's former national security advisor Michael Flynn and pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell as part of a purge of QAnon accounts. QAnon is a baseless belief, born on the internet, that Trump has been secretly fighting deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex-trafficking ring. Social media companies have been under intensified pressure to crack down on hate speech, especially after Wednesday's attack on the US Capitol. Dozens of QAnon social media accounts were hyping up January 6 in the days leading up to a Washington DC rally for Trump, expressing hope that President-elect Joe Biden's victory would be overturned. Twitter said in an email statement on Friday: "Given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behaviour in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content." The company says that when it determines a group or campaign is engaged in "coordinated harmful activity", it may suspend accounts that it finds primarily encourages that behaviour.

Twitter bans Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell as part of purge of QAnon accounts

President Donald Trump has floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud. She notably was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories.

Notably (again), there is no evidence of the kind of mass voter fraud Trump has been alleging since he lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden.

According to the Associated Press, Trump on Friday went as far as discussing getting Powell security clearance.

Trump and Powell met in the Oval Office Friday night, ABC News has confirmed, and were joined by Trump's former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. The meeting was first reported by The New York Times.

"[Trump] could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states and basically rerun an election in each of those states," Flynn&nbsp;said earlier this week&nbsp;on the conservative news outlet Newsmax.

Under federal law, the US attorney general, not the president, is responsible for appointing special counsels.

Trump has increasingly entertained conspiracy theories regarding the November 3 vote -- and is duly egged on by allies like&nbsp;Flynn and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney.

Flynn, who Trump recently pardoned for lying to the FBI, has even discussed the idea of imposing martial law and using the military to re-run the election.

(with inputs)

President Donald Trump has floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud. She notably was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories.

President Donald Trump has floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud. She notably was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories. Notably (again), there is no evidence of the kind of mass voter fraud Trump has been alleging since he lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden. According to the Associated Press, Trump on Friday went as far as discussing getting Powell security clearance. Trump and Powell met in the Oval Office Friday night, ABC News has confirmed, and were joined by Trump's former national security advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. The meeting was first reported by The New York Times. "[Trump] could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states and basically rerun an election in each of those states," Flynn said earlier this week on the conservative news outlet Newsmax. Under federal law, the US attorney general, not the president, is responsible for appointing special counsels. Trump has increasingly entertained conspiracy theories regarding the November 3 vote -- and is duly egged on by allies like Flynn and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney. Flynn, who Trump recently pardoned for lying to the FBI, has even discussed the idea of imposing martial law and using the military to re-run the election. (with inputs)

Trump floated fired attorney Sidney Powell as special counsel, reports say

President Donald Trump’s legal team has disavowed attorney Sidney Powell, who as part of its post-election legal team has pushed some of the most extreme conspiracy theories around the vote. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-is-mulling-joining-trade-pact-dumped-by-trump-344669">Also read: China is mulling joining trade pact dumped by Trump</a> 
 
“Sidney Powell is practising law on her own,” Giuliani and Ellis said in their statement. “She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the president in his personal capacity.”

Trump had tweeted on November 14 that Powell would be a member of his legal team, alongside Giuliani and campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis.

The team has sought to overturn election results in several states, including key battlegrounds Pennsylvania and Michigan, all of which voted for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. 
 
Democrats and some Republicans have accused Trump of trying to undermine faith in the American electoral system and delegitimize Biden’s victory by promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud.

Giuliani's announcement about Powell comes just days after an extraordinary 90-minute press conference at the Republican National Committee in Washington, during which legal team members argued -- without evidence -- that a broad "national conspiracy" to deny Trump reelection was underway.

Powell notably claimed that Trump had beaten Biden in a landslide, despite the fact that Biden won 306 Electoral College votes -- 36 more than needed to win the White House -- to Trump's 232.

Biden is set to win the popular vote by more than six million votes.

Powell also claimed during the press conference that Cuba, Venezuela and other "Communist" nations may have been linked to a hacking of the election that took millions of votes from Trump.

Prior to working with Trump's legal team, Powell had defended the president's former aide Michael Flynn, who is accused of lying about his Russia contacts during the 2016 presidential election.

Powell's dismissal comes the day after a Pennsylvania judge threw out Trump's claims in the state in a scathing judgment.

Judge Matthew Brann wrote that the president's team had presented "strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations" in their complaints about mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.

(With inputs from agencies)

President Donald Trump’s legal team has disavowed attorney Sidney Powell, who as part of its post-election legal team has pushed some of the most extreme conspiracy theories around the vote.

President Donald Trump’s legal team has disavowed attorney Sidney Powell, who as part of its post-election legal team has pushed some of the most extreme conspiracy theories around the vote. Also read: China is mulling joining trade pact dumped by Trump “Sidney Powell is practising law on her own,” Giuliani and Ellis said in their statement. “She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the president in his personal capacity.” Trump had tweeted on November 14 that Powell would be a member of his legal team, alongside Giuliani and campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis. The team has sought to overturn election results in several states, including key battlegrounds Pennsylvania and Michigan, all of which voted for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. Democrats and some Republicans have accused Trump of trying to undermine faith in the American electoral system and delegitimize Biden’s victory by promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud. Giuliani's announcement about Powell comes just days after an extraordinary 90-minute press conference at the Republican National Committee in Washington, during which legal team members argued -- without evidence -- that a broad "national conspiracy" to deny Trump reelection was underway. Powell notably claimed that Trump had beaten Biden in a landslide, despite the fact that Biden won 306 Electoral College votes -- 36 more than needed to win the White House -- to Trump's 232. Biden is set to win the popular vote by more than six million votes. Powell also claimed during the press conference that Cuba, Venezuela and other "Communist" nations may have been linked to a hacking of the election that took millions of votes from Trump. Prior to working with Trump's legal team, Powell had defended the president's former aide Michael Flynn, who is accused of lying about his Russia contacts during the 2016 presidential election. Powell's dismissal comes the day after a Pennsylvania judge threw out Trump's claims in the state in a scathing judgment. Judge Matthew Brann wrote that the president's team had presented "strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations" in their complaints about mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump campaign cuts ties with lawyer Sidney Powell who made voter fraud claims

For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>.

She spoke mostly uninterrupted for nearly 20 minutes Monday on the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” the No. 1 program on talk radio. Hosts like Mark Levin, who has the fourth-largest talk radio audience, and Lou Dobbs of Fox Business praised her patriotism and courage.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/multiple-blows-narrow-donald-trumps-options-to-retain-presidency-344474" hreflang="en">Multiple blows narrow Donald Trump's options to retain presidency</a>

So it came as most unwelcome news to the president’s defenders when Tucker Carlson, host of an 8 p.m. Fox News show and a confidant of Trump, dissected Powell’s claims as unreliable and unproven.

“What Powell was describing would amount to the single greatest crime in American history,” Carlson said Thursday night, his voice ringing with incredulity in a 10-minute monologue at the top of his show. “Millions of votes stolen in a day. Democracy destroyed. The end of our centuries-old system of government.” But, he said, when he invited Powell on his show to share her evidence, she became “angry and told us to stop contacting her.”

The response was immediate, and hostile. The president’s allies in conservative media and their legions of devoted Trump fans quickly closed ranks behind Powell and her case on behalf of the president, accusing the Fox host of betrayal.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/youre-fired-twitter-to-hand-over-potus-account-to-biden-whether-trump-concedes-or-not-344466" hreflang="en">Twitter to hand over POTUS account to Biden, whether Trump concedes or not</a>

“How quickly we turn on our own,” said Bo Snerdley, Limbaugh’s producer, in a Twitter post that was indicative of the backlash against Carlson. “Where is the ‘evidence’ the election was fair?”

The backlash against Carlson and Fox for daring to exert even a moment of independence underscores how little willingness exists among Republicans to challenge the president and his false narrative about the election he insists was stolen. Among conservative media voices and outlets, there’s generally not just a lack of willingness — they have proved this month to be Trump’s most reflexive defenders.

For months before the election, as Trump spread disinformation about the reliability of mail-in ballots, Republicans largely avoided contradicting him and insisted that his concerns about fraud were not entirely unreasonable. And in the weeks since election night, when Trump falsely declared himself the winner and then refused to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the acknowledgments that the race is settled have come mostly from former officials like President George W. Bush or from a few current officeholders, like Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have not been afraid to air their differences with Trump.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dont-be-embarrassing-czech-president-asks-donald-trump-to-step-down-344233" hreflang="en">'Don't be embarrassing': Czech President asks Donald Trump to step down</a>

The same fear that grips elected Republicans — getting on the wrong side of voters who adore Trump but have little affection for the Republican Party — has kept conservative media largely in line. And that has created a right-wing media bubble that has grown increasingly disconnected from the most basic facts about U.S. government in recent weeks, including who will be inaugurated as president Jan. 20.

In the hours after Carlson’s monologue, word of which spread quickly across social media, Trump’s supporters went after not only Carlson but also Fox News. The network has become a source of particular frustration with many on the right after taking a more skeptical view of Trump’s claims about voter fraud and refusing to reconsider its call on election night that Biden would win Arizona.

That decision, which proved correct, deeply angered the president and led him to start promoting some of Fox’s smaller competitors on cable like Newsmax and One America News Network as more suitable alternatives for his large and loyal following.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-elections-results-2020-joe-biden-wins-georgia-after-recount-says-state-election-official-344393" hreflang="en">US elections results 2020: Joe Biden wins Georgia after recount, says state election official</a>

Roosh Valizadeh, a writer and podcast host who supports the president, summed up the anger aimed at Fox by many on the right, saying, “As long as Tucker Carlson works for Fox News, he can’t be fully trusted.”

All week on networks like Newsmax and OANN and talk radio programs, the president’s supporters have been given a steady diet of interviews with Trump allies, campaign officials and news stories that promote allegations of fraud with little or no context.

One lawyer who is assisting the Trump campaign in its efforts, Lin Wood, went unquestioned this week on Levin’s show when he made the fantastical claim that Trump had won the election with 70% of the vote. A story that OANN broadcast Friday afternoon falsely declared, “The state of Michigan is back in play,” giving credence to Trump’s extraordinary but almost certainly unsuccessful efforts to delay certification of the vote in Detroit.

Republican officials have remained mostly measured and muted in their response, even after the conspiratorial and unsubstantiated claims floated by Powell, Rudy Giuliani and other members of Trump’s legal team at a news conference Thursday. Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who said that Powell’s accusations were “absolutely outrageous,” were the exception.

Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review and sometimes critic of the president who called his refusal to concede “absurd and sophomoric,” said that whether it was a Republican politician or a talk-show host, breaking the will that many Trump supporters have to believe he is the rightful winner was extremely difficult.

“They want it to be true,” Lowry said. “On top of that, there’s an enormous credibility gap and radical distrust of other sources of information. And that’s compounded by the fact that the president has no standards and is surrounded by these clownish people who will say anything. It’s a toxic stew.”

Carlson, no doubt aware that many in his audience, including possibly the president himself, would not like what they were hearing, walked a fine line Thursday night. He insisted that he and his producers “took Sidney Powell seriously.”

He also tried to reassure members of his audience that he was on their side after all, explaining how he always kept an open mind about alleged cover-ups like the one Powell has promoted. “We don’t dismiss anything,” he said. “We literally do UFO segments.”

For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President Donald Trump.

For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell made the rounds on right-wing talk radio and cable news, facing little pushback as she laid out a conspiracy theory that Venezuela, Cuba and other “communist” interests had used a secret algorithm to hack into voting machines and steal millions of votes from President Donald Trump. She spoke mostly uninterrupted for nearly 20 minutes Monday on the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” the No. 1 program on talk radio. Hosts like Mark Levin, who has the fourth-largest talk radio audience, and Lou Dobbs of Fox Business praised her patriotism and courage. Also read| Multiple blows narrow Donald Trump's options to retain presidency So it came as most unwelcome news to the president’s defenders when Tucker Carlson, host of an 8 p.m. Fox News show and a confidant of Trump, dissected Powell’s claims as unreliable and unproven. “What Powell was describing would amount to the single greatest crime in American history,” Carlson said Thursday night, his voice ringing with incredulity in a 10-minute monologue at the top of his show. “Millions of votes stolen in a day. Democracy destroyed. The end of our centuries-old system of government.” But, he said, when he invited Powell on his show to share her evidence, she became “angry and told us to stop contacting her.” The response was immediate, and hostile. The president’s allies in conservative media and their legions of devoted Trump fans quickly closed ranks behind Powell and her case on behalf of the president, accusing the Fox host of betrayal. Also read| Twitter to hand over POTUS account to Biden, whether Trump concedes or not “How quickly we turn on our own,” said Bo Snerdley, Limbaugh’s producer, in a Twitter post that was indicative of the backlash against Carlson. “Where is the ‘evidence’ the election was fair?” The backlash against Carlson and Fox for daring to exert even a moment of independence underscores how little willingness exists among Republicans to challenge the president and his false narrative about the election he insists was stolen. Among conservative media voices and outlets, there’s generally not just a lack of willingness — they have proved this month to be Trump’s most reflexive defenders. For months before the election, as Trump spread disinformation about the reliability of mail-in ballots, Republicans largely avoided contradicting him and insisted that his concerns about fraud were not entirely unreasonable. And in the weeks since election night, when Trump falsely declared himself the winner and then refused to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, the acknowledgments that the race is settled have come mostly from former officials like President George W. Bush or from a few current officeholders, like Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, who have not been afraid to air their differences with Trump. Also read| 'Don't be embarrassing': Czech President asks Donald Trump to step down The same fear that grips elected Republicans — getting on the wrong side of voters who adore Trump but have little affection for the Republican Party — has kept conservative media largely in line. And that has created a right-wing media bubble that has grown increasingly disconnected from the most basic facts about U.S. government in recent weeks, including who will be inaugurated as president Jan. 20. In the hours after Carlson’s monologue, word of which spread quickly across social media, Trump’s supporters went after not only Carlson but also Fox News. The network has become a source of particular frustration with many on the right after taking a more skeptical view of Trump’s claims about voter fraud and refusing to reconsider its call on election night that Biden would win Arizona. That decision, which proved correct, deeply angered the president and led him to start promoting some of Fox’s smaller competitors on cable like Newsmax and One America News Network as more suitable alternatives for his large and loyal following. Also read| US elections results 2020: Joe Biden wins Georgia after recount, says state election official Roosh Valizadeh, a writer and podcast host who supports the president, summed up the anger aimed at Fox by many on the right, saying, “As long as Tucker Carlson works for Fox News, he can’t be fully trusted.” All week on networks like Newsmax and OANN and talk radio programs, the president’s supporters have been given a steady diet of interviews with Trump allies, campaign officials and news stories that promote allegations of fraud with little or no context. One lawyer who is assisting the Trump campaign in its efforts, Lin Wood, went unquestioned this week on Levin’s show when he made the fantastical claim that Trump had won the election with 70% of the vote. A story that OANN broadcast Friday afternoon falsely declared, “The state of Michigan is back in play,” giving credence to Trump’s extraordinary but almost certainly unsuccessful efforts to delay certification of the vote in Detroit. Republican officials have remained mostly measured and muted in their response, even after the conspiratorial and unsubstantiated claims floated by Powell, Rudy Giuliani and other members of Trump’s legal team at a news conference Thursday. Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who said that Powell’s accusations were “absolutely outrageous,” were the exception. Rich Lowry, the editor of National Review and sometimes critic of the president who called his refusal to concede “absurd and sophomoric,” said that whether it was a Republican politician or a talk-show host, breaking the will that many Trump supporters have to believe he is the rightful winner was extremely difficult. “They want it to be true,” Lowry said. “On top of that, there’s an enormous credibility gap and radical distrust of other sources of information. And that’s compounded by the fact that the president has no standards and is surrounded by these clownish people who will say anything. It’s a toxic stew.” Carlson, no doubt aware that many in his audience, including possibly the president himself, would not like what they were hearing, walked a fine line Thursday night. He insisted that he and his producers “took Sidney Powell seriously.” He also tried to reassure members of his audience that he was on their side after all, explaining how he always kept an open mind about alleged cover-ups like the one Powell has promoted. “We don’t dismiss anything,” he said. “We literally do UFO segments.”

Tucker Carlson dared question a Trump lawyer. The backlash was quick.

sidney-powell

Sidney Powell, News on Sidney Powell, stories on Sidney Powell, articles on Sidney Powell, Sidney Powell stories at Wion, Sidney Powell news, Sidney Powell latest news

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Tucker Carlson dared question a Trump lawyer. The backlash was quick.