Donald Trump has distanced himself from a controversial lawyer who once promised to “release the Kraken” to help the former president overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump published a post on his Truth Social media site on Sunday, claiming that Sidney Powell “never” was his attorney just days after Powell reached a plea deal with Fulton County prosecutors.
“Despite fake news reports to the contrary, and without even asking the Trump campaign, MS. POWELL WAS NOT MY LAWYER, AND NEVER WAS MY LAWYER,” Trump insisted.
“Powell was one of the millions and millions of people who thought, and a growing number still think, correctly, that the 2020 presidential election was BOUGHT AND STOLEN, AND OUR COUNTRY IS BEING ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED BECAUSE OF IT!! !”
Powell, 68, pleaded guilty last week to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to interfere with the election. The settlement was made in exchange for a fine, a letter of apology and a commitment to provide testimony in future Fulton County cases.
Several media outlets described Sidney Powell as a lawyer for the Trump campaign, prompting a rebuttal from the former president.ZUMAPRESS.com Donald Trump praised Sidney Powell, but emphasized that she was not his lawyer.Getty Images
She had been one of 19 people charged in the Georgia election tampering case led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in August.
A day after Powell’s deal, co-defendant attorney Kenneth Chesebro reached a last-minute deal last Friday agreeing to testify in future cases.
Trump was charged with 13 charges in the Fulton County case and has already pleaded not guilty.
I hope Mayor Giuliani leads the legal effort to defend OUR RIGHT to FREE and FAIR ELECTIONS! Rudy Giuliani, Joseph diGenova, Victoria Toensing, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, a truly excellent team, plus our other wonderful attorneys and representatives!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020
Powell quickly gained infamy for peddling dubious claims of misconduct in the 2020 election and at one point vowed to “release the Kraken” in her bid to keep Trump in office.
Days after the 2020 election, Trump grouped Powell with his lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis in a Twitter post, now X.
But her campaign legal team later clarified at the time that she was not part of the team.
Sidney Powell has faced defamation lawsuits and other legal problems over her 2020 election denialism. AFP via Getty Images
Powell is known to have participated in multiple strategy sessions and meetings with Trump allies seeking to overturn the 2020 election, including a meeting at the White House on December 18, 2020.
Trump suggested Powell would have been “conflicted” in representing him, citing her failed legal defense of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for making false statements to the FBI. Trump later pardoned Flynn.
“EM. Powell did a brave job representing a General Mike Flynn, treated very unfairly and abused by the government, but to no avail. His prosecution, despite the facts, was ruthless,” Trump added.
Donald Trump has been dealing with the sprawling $250 million civil fraud case against him in New York this month.Gregory P. Mango
“He was an innocent man, like many other innocent people who are being persecuted by this now fascist government of ours, and I had the honor of granting him a full pardon!”
The 77-year-old former president faces a total of 91 criminal charges in four cases in Georgia, Manhattan, South Florida and Washington.
Trump has denied wrongdoing on all fronts.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn