CNN’s senior legal analyst Elie Honig said Friday that co-defendant in the Georgia election case, Kenneth Chesebro, could be “poison” to prosecutors.
Chesebro struck a plea deal with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in October, pleading guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents. Prosecutors dropped six other felony charges he was originally indicted on.
Chesebro recently told Michigan investigators that there was a December 2020 meeting where he allegedly briefed Trump about a fake electors plan, CNN reported citing audio it obtained of said meeting between Chesebro and investigators. (RELATED: CNN Legal Analyst Explains How Sidney Powell Is ‘Bigger Threat’ To Trump)
“Taking into account this new reporting, what does this do? What is the impact on Donald Trump?” host Erica Hill asked.
“Kenneth Chesebro is a mixed bag for prosecutors and I guess, therefore, for Donald Trump. And mixed bags aren’t great when you’re a prosecutor and you bear the burden of proving your case not by 51% but beyond a reasonable doubt to a unanimous jury. Here’s why — Chesebro has clearly been valuable to prosecutors because he’s giving them details…It gives life to the allegations. How exactly did these ballots make their way from Minnesota or Wisconsin to Washington, D.C.? That’s important for prosecutors to know. It gives them leads,” Honig said.
“But this is important: Kenneth Chesebro will never take the stand. He will never be called to the stand by a prosecutor, by Fani Willis or Jack Smith. And here’s a line from the reporting, a crucial line from Katelyn’s reporting, I’ll read it verbatim: ‘Chesebro has maintained, then and now, that the plan … was a lawful move to preserve Trump’s legal rights.’ If he says that, and that apparently is his view, he’s poison to prosecutors. He will be what we call a Brady witness. Meaning a witness that’s helpful to the defense, based on an old case called Brady. So he’s useful investigatively. But anyone who thinks he will be the next John Dean or the smoking gun witness, absolutely not. Mark my words, no prosecutor will call him to the stand.”
Chesebro will receive no jail time but was sentenced to five years probation, required to pay $5,000 in restitution and complete 100 hours of community service. Co-defendant Sidney Powell also took a plea deal, pleading guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties, rather than the seven felony counts listed in her indictment.