Bail bondsman Scott Hall has become the first defendant in the Fulton County election interference case to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors. This development indicates that the investigation has entered a new dynamic phase. Hall pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the performance of election duties. As part of the agreement, he will testify truthfully when called, serve five years probation, pay a $5,000 fine, complete 200 hours of community service, and be banned from polling and election administration-related activities.
The plea agreement is considered a victory for prosecutors, who are preparing for multiple trials involving 18 defendants in total. Jury selection for the trial of the first two defendants, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, is scheduled to begin on October 20. While Hall’s involvement may not be as well-known as some of the other co-defendants, he played a significant role in efforts to undermine the 2020 election results in Georgia. He chartered the plane that transported Trump allies and computer analysts to Coffee County, where sensitive voting data was breached. Hall could potentially testify against Powell, who allegedly financed the trip to gather evidence of voter fraud.
Despite his guilty plea, Hall may be able to retain his bail bond license as Georgia law prohibits professional bail bondspersons from being convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. Prosecutors often propose plea deals in large-scale racketeering cases like this one as they focus on the main targets of the alleged criminal scheme. Former President Donald Trump and his former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani face the most charges in this case. The prosecution intends to extend plea offers to Chesebro and Powell in the near future.