Supporters of former Donald Trump attorney Jenna Ellis want their hundreds of thousands of dollars back now that she has entered into a guilty plea in the Fulton County election interference case.
Ellis became the fourth defendant to enter into a plea deal on Tuesday, agreeing to plead guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She tearfully addressed the court, "If I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse."
The news that she had agreed to take responsibility for her role in the efforts to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 victory in Georgia was met with outrage from Trump supporters, with some demanding that Ellis refund the money they donated to her legal defense fund.
The financial standings of former President Donald Trump's 18 co-defendants was thrust into the spotlight after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the sweeping RICO indictment in August, which was followed by reports that Trump has no plans to back his associates financially.
As a result, many of his co-defendants turned to crowdsourcing donations for their costly legal bills. Ellis alone raised more than $216,000 on her GiveSendGo fundraiser.
"Jenna Ellis raised $200,000 to take a plea deal and say Trump was wrong to challenge the 2020 Presidential Election. She should return the money...," Alexander Sheppard, a Trump supporter and January 6 defendant, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Why did Jenna Ellis raise multiple six figures of money to take a plea deal in short order? I'd like to know," New York Republican County Legislator Ben Geller said.
Geller clarified to Newsweek that he never donated to the former attorney's fundraiser.
"I did not donate to Miss Ellis nor would I ever after she likely displayed childlike behavior by blocking anyone she thought was associated with the Trump Campaign for supporting her when she was charged," Geller said. "I did not ask for her to give the money back; I simply asked a question. That's up to her & her legal counsel."
Alex Bruesewitz, a GOP political consultant aligned with Trump, also called on Ellis to "do the right thing" and return the donations, saying she raised the money under the impression she would use the funds to "fight back" against Willis' charges, but that she abandoned those plans and "caved quickly" instead.
The GiveSendGo page, which was created by Ellis' lawyer Michael Melito, alleged that the former Trump attorney was being targeted by the government, who was "trying to criminalize the practice of law."
"Help her fight back and stand for the truth!" the fundraiser said.
"Didn't Jenna Ellis raise a whole bunch of money on the basis that she was MAGA and supported Trump?" X user @MagaisLife wrote. "Now she pleads guilty in the Georgia Election case and tries to throw Trump under the bus. Despicable."
Another user called it a "crime" that the donations were not being returned.
Newsweek reached out to Ellis and Melito via email for comment.
Political activist Laura Loomer previously used her social media account to warn people against donating to Ellis' legal defense, predicting on Sunday that Ellis would take a plea deal this week.
"Hope those of you who donated $220,000 to her are happy. Your money will be used to attack President Trump," Loomer said. "A lot of right wingers need better judgment."
Trump critic and attorney Ron Filipkowski mocked MAGA supporters for donating to Ellis' fundraiser, asking on X, "When all you MAGA people were sending $217,000 to Jenna so she could fight Fani Willis, did you know she was going to enter a quick guilty plea, blame Rudy [Giuliani], agree to testify against others, and say she wishes she never got involved?"
Trump's co-defendants have raised a total of $850,764 towards their legal fees. Former Trump attorney John Eastman has raised nearly $550,000, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark has raised almost $63,000 and former Coffee County Republican Party Chair Cathy Latham has raised over $21,000.
Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani received $300,000 from Trump's Save America PAC in May, but the former attorney has reportedly refused to commit more money to Giuliani, opting to appear alongside him at fundraisers instead.
Update 10/25/23 8:22 a.m. ET This story was updated with comments from Geller.
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Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
