As Americans prepare for next year’s election season, voters must determine their preferred candidate within their respective political party. Republican presidential candidates have engaged in weeks of debate to promote their campaigns and answer the questions posed by the American people. Nonetheless, questions surrounding a prominent political figure have circled as he faces various criminal allegations: former President Donald J. Trump and 18 others faced indictments in Fulton County August 14 relating to Georgia’s election interference. Thursday, October 19, Trump’s former lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleaded guilty to involvement in the conspiracy relating to Georgia’s election interference.
Following her guilty plea to six misdemeanors, the Fulton County Superior Court served Powell with a multitude of fines, probation and other punishments. In addition to the $7,200 that Powell will need to pay for fines and restitution she must pay to Georgia, she will also serve a six-year probation. Georgia citizens can anticipate the release of her agreed apology letter, acknowledging her involvement in the election interference.
“I think her letter will be kind of interesting. Like what will she say? Is she going to give us more info[rmation] or is she just going to apologize? I wish we knew when it was going to come out. She definitely should say something though because she said she wasn’t guilty and then changed her opinion out of nowhere. It just felt random,” senior James Nelson said.
The defendant, a former federal prosecutor, received her degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Though she represented Trump in 2020, she has implied that she and the former president do not hold any further connections. Moreover, she has agreed to help convict Trump in his election interference case by testifying against him.
Powell’s guilty plea, her acknowledgment of the evidence held by Fulton County and her agreement to testify against Trump can significantly sway the outcome of his case. Additionally, if convicted, Trump may potentially no longer stand as an option for a primary candidate in the upcoming presidential election. Although Article II of the Constitution does not state any limitations around criminal and civil charges or any limitations regarding indictments, two questions arise: How will an American president serve his country behind bars, and how will the American people feel about electing a convicted felon?
“The election next year will be the first that people our age can vote in. I know a lot of my friends who don’t [like] Biden that much and were going to vote for someone else. I think everyone thinks that it’ll be like last year. You know, Trump and [Biden are against] each other. So if it’s not him and people don’t like Biden, I think that it will be interesting to see who it is. Like it will be interesting to see who we decide to elect if there’s no Trump and we don’t like Biden,” Nelson said.
Although the court has yet to set his case date, citizens of Georgia must await Trump’s trial. Currently, election trackers suggest that Trump boasts 59% of the Republican primary voters. This far surpasses any of his opponents, as his nearest competitor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis only garners 14% of the Republican primary voters. As the election season approaches and Georgia citizens continue to listen to the Republican party’s campaigns, they may consider other options.
