Why Trump co-defendants’ 'child dragged by the ear' apologies are what Willis 'bargained for': ex-prosecutor

In a Tuesday, December 19 MSNBC op-ed, former U.S. attorney Carol C. Lam argues that while Donald Trump Georgia co-defendants' Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro wrote "limp apologies" as part of their plea deals — they made perfect sense in this case.

Lam writes, "Nothing says 'I'm really not sorry' like one sentence scrawled on a piece of lined notebook paper — which is exactly what Powell and Chesebro submitted. To say the apologies do not seem heartfelt is an understatement; they more closely resemble a child dragged by the ear to apologize to a teacher on the receiving end of a pea shooter."

Powell's apology read, “I apologize for my actions in connection with the events in Coffee County," while Chesebro's said, "I apologize to the citizens of the state of Georgia and of Fulton County for my involvement in Count 15 of the indictment."

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The former US attorney suggests, "Powell's non-apology apology was especially notable given other indications of her lack of authentic remorse. In the days after her guilty plea, Powell’s organization 'Defending the Republic' — which she founded and serves for as president — promoted articles through its Substack newsletter that characterized her guilty plea as “extorted” and obtained under pressure."

However, Lam writes, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis "got exactly what she bargained for — half-hearted, limp apologies from two attorney defendants who knew that this is simply a legal transaction — nothing more, and nothing less."

Noting former Trump lawyer and Georgia co-defendant Jenna Ellis' "more detailed and seemingly remorseful" apology than her co-defendants, the ex-prosecutor writes:

But not everyone wants to engage on that level. If Fani Willis hoped to wring some emotional satisfaction out of the prosecutions of Powell and Chesebro, a forced apology wasn't going to achieve that goal. Willis can force Powell and Chesebro to write down the words, but she can't force them to believe them; and despite calls to the contrary, it's unlikely she will undo their plea agreements on the grounds their apologies are insincere. Having given videotaped interviews to Fulton County investigators as another condition of their plea bargains, Powell and Chesebro offer testimony in Fulton County that is simply too valuable to the prosecution, and Chesebro, hoping to avoid state prosecutions, isnow also cooperating with other state attorneys general who have or are looking to prosecute others who took part in 'fake electors' schemes.

READ MORE: Trump lawyers in for a surprise at sentencing after half-baked apologies: ex-prosecutor

Lam's full op-ed is available at this link.