Per reports from The Hill, Powell appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday to enter her plea, just days before her trial was scheduled to begin next week.
“How do you plead to the six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties?” asked Daysha Young, a Fulton County prosecutor.
“Guilty,” Powell said.
McAfee accepted Powell’s plea and said that she could not withdraw it. Powell was sentenced to six years’ probation, a $6,000 fine and $2,700 restitution. She will also be required to “testify truthfully” in future proceedings and must turn over any documents requested by the district attorney’s office.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen reports that as part of her guilty plea, Powell will be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, prosecutors said at a hearing Thursday.”
Powell is the second of 19 co-defendants in the case to plead guilty.
Powell was indicted on seven charges in August, accusing her and the others of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act statute by entering a months-long conspiracy to try to keep Donald Trump in the White House following the 2020 election.
This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s legal team is adding to his laundry list of legal troubles.
The former Trump attorney’s previous legal team is suing the Republican for failing to pay legal fees amounting to $1.36 million they charged while representing him in numerous controversies.
And now his old counsel is turning against him, accusing him of not paying up all the money he owes them for representing him throughout these his legal battles. Giuliani has already paid the firm — which he employed on a retainer agreement that it alleges he broke — $214,000, with his last payment made on Sept. 14 in the amount of $10,000, according to the filing. In total, the firm has charged him $1.57 million from 2019 to 2023.
“I can’t express how personally hurt I am by what Bob Costello has done,” Giuliani told POLITICO in a statement. “It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess to anything approaching legitimate fees.”
Giuliani is staring down the barrel at a host of legal issues stemming from the 2020 presidential election. Last month Giuliani surrendered to Fulton County jail over charges that he helped conspire with Trump to overthrow the election by lying to state legislators and spreading election fraud misinformation. A week later, a federal judge ruled that he was liable for defaming two Georgia election workers.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump arrived to his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin in a garbage truck and matching vest after President Joe Biden called Trump supporters “garbage.”
He criticized Biden, Democrats, and most especially his opponent Vice-president Kamala Harris for “running a campaign of hate, vitriol and retribution.”
“This week Kamala has been comparing her political opponents to the most evil mass murderers in history and now speaking on a call for her campaign last night crooked Joe Biden finally said what he and Kamala really think of our supporters, he called them ‘garbage,” he said.
Joe Biden calls millions of Americans “garbage.” The next day Trump gets picked up in Green Bay, Wisconsin by a garbage truck.
“My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans, it’s true. You can’t be president if you hate the American people, which I believe they do, and Kamala Harris is not fit to be president of the United States,” he said.
Trump went on to emphasize himself as a unity candidate, uniting people of every race, creed and economic status.
“Kamala and Joe call all of us, and them, even them, ‘garbage.’ I call you the heart and soul of America. You are the heart and soul, you built our country, you built it,” he said. “And by the way I want to thank all our sanitation workers all across America because they work hard, they really do work hard and they do an incredible job, and they don’t get the credit they deserve.”
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Joe Biden labeled Republicans on the ballot in this year’s midterm elections as a “threat to democracy” while at a campaign event in Maryland Thursday evening.
Touching on former President Trump and his “Make America Great Again” slogan Biden accused Republicans of wanting to send the country “backward.”
“Now you need to vote to literally save democracy again,” Biden told a large crowd at the Democratic National Committee rally in Rockville, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. “Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans have made their choice — to go backwards full of anger, violence, hate, and division. But we’ve chosen a different path forward, the future, unity, hope and optimism.”
“We choose to build a better America,” Biden said.
Throughout Biden’s speech, he also touched on accomplishments from his administration before circling back to Republicans. The President later attempted to separate what he labeled “MAGA Republicans” from “conservative Republicans” citing Maryland’s current Gov. Larry Hogan (R), as an example of the later.
“The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security. They’re a threat to our very democracy,” Biden said as he wrapped up his remarks. “They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace, embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
“This is why in this moment, those of you that love this country — Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans — we must be stronger, more determined, and more committed to saving America than the MAGA Republicans are destroying America,” he said.
This is hardly the first time President Biden has attacked supporters of the former president and attempted to label them as dangers to society. In May, Biden called MAGA the “most extreme political organization in history” following the leak of a Supreme Court draft that signaled the end of Roe v. Wade.
“What are the next things that are going to be attacked? Because this MAGA crowd is really the most extreme political organization that’s existed in American history. In recent American history,” Biden told the crowd.
On Friday, Biden’s White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down and defended the President’s comments calling Trump supporters fascists.
Jean-Pierre: "What MAGA Republicans have done [is] the definition of facism… That is what that is." pic.twitter.com/4WMXk9Ga36
The slogan, written in red paint, read “AOC funds genocide in Gaza.” The vandals had also spread the paint all over the entrance to the campaign office before police arrived at roughly 1 a.m. Monday.
NEW — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) campaign headquarters in the Bronx was vandalized overnight with “AOC Funds Genocide in Gaza” written in red paint on the front gate.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 21, 2025
The incident came just days after Ocasio-Cortez voted against legislation from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that would have cut funding for the Israeli Defense Forces.
The lawmaker, who has been vocally critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, said she voted against the bill because it only cut funding for the defensive “Iron Dome” and did nothing to cut off the “actual bombs killing Palestinians.”
Greene’s legislation would have cut off roughly $500 million in funding for Israel. Her proposed amendment, which failed on Thursday, came after Israeli Defense Forces bombed the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza.
“Israel bombed the Catholic Church in Gaza, and that entire population is being wiped out as they continue their aggressive war in Gaza,” Greene said.
Voting alongside Greene on the amendment were Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) members of the progressive so-called “squad” to which Ocasio-Cortez also belongs.
On Tuesday, Actor John Leguizamo lost his cool over recent reports showing more Latino voters trending toward Donald Trump.
After he mocked an ad from the Trump campaign targeting Latino voters, “The Daily Show” guest host expressed dismay over polls showing he was gaining ground with Latinos.
“I mean, clearly, Trump isn’t making any effort to get Latino voters or make them a priority,” Leguizamo scoffed. “But the thing that hurts the most is that his lazy a– strategy is actually working.”
The comedy show played a news clip reading the results of a poll earlier this year which put Trump ahead of Biden by six points with Latino voters. Leguizamo reacted by grabbing a piñata from under his desk and punching it.
The comedian let out a string of curse words in Spanish aimed at Trump while attacking the piñata. After regaining his composure, Leguizamo warned Democrats were in trouble because Latino voters trusted Trump over Biden to handle their number one concern: inflation.
Daily Show’s John Leguizamo has a MELTDOWN and SMASHES a piñata after admitting Donald Trump 'strategy' is winning over Latino voters
“The thing that hurts me the most is that his lazy ass strategy is actually working,”
“It looks like the Democrats are in trouble. And you might be thinking, how is this possible? Donald Trump is winning Latinos? ‘Build the wall’ Donald Trump? ‘Mass deportations’ Donald Trump? Guy who thinks Daddy Yankee is a baseball player, Donald Trump? But the truth is, in 2024, Latino voters have something else on their minds,” he said.
“That’s right. For Latinos, this election is all about inflation! And that makes sense! Inflation is bad right now,” he said before claiming that Trump had no solutions to solve the crisis.
Former President Donald Trump has vowed retaliation against Iran following reports that the Islamic Republic has conspired to assassinate him as he runs for president in 2024.
During an event in Mint Hill, North Carolina, Trump made the threat while delivering a speech on manufacturing at the Mosack Group’s warehouse.
Trump to Iran, if you do anything to harm this person, we will blow your cities to smithereens! pic.twitter.com/2GdY804CcH
U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly briefed Trump on the suspected Iranian plot to kill him, according to his campaign. The revelation was first reported by The Guardian:
The briefing, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is believed to have focused on a scheme unrelated to two failed domestic assassination attempts against the Republican nominee for president, and came amid reports suggesting that Iran is conducting an ongoing hack against Trump’s campaign.
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s spokesperson, said the briefing concerned “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate [Trump] in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States”.
He added: “Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference.”
This development marks another escalation in tensions between the former president and Iran, which has been implicated in assassination plots against Trump and Trump administration officials
After surviving his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump made a jaw-dropping revelation about his dying wish.
In a fiery statement on Truth Social, Trump shared a video clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and issued a bold warning regarding Iran:
“If they do assassinate President Trump, which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth. If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered ‘gutless’ cowards!”
It’s never too early for Trump to dole out an endorsement.
On Wednesday, Trump formally endorsed Rep. Jim Banks’s campaign for the Indiana Senate primary in what is the latest sign the GOP is warming up to his candidacy in the race.
“Jim Banks is running for the United States Senate from the Great State of Indiana. I know Jim well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and WIN!” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. “Strong on the Border, Crime, our Military and our Vets, Jim will fight for low taxes and regulations, Sanity in Government, and our under siege 2nd Amendment.”
“Jim Banks is respected by all, will never let you down, and has my Complete & Total Endorsement!” he added.
Trump’s endorsement comes a day after former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels announced he would not pursue a Senate campaign.
“After what I hope was adequate reflection, I’ve decided not to become a candidate for the U.S. Senate. With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it’s just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point,” Daniels wrote.
“I have never imagined that I would be well-suited to legislative office, particularly where seniority remains a significant factor in one’s effectiveness, and I saw nothing in my recent explorations that altered that view,” Daniels said, adding that if he had run, he would only have done so for one term.
Daniels stressed in his announcement that he would have worked to lower the “personal vitriol” and temperature across the nation’s political sphere.
“I would have tried to work on these matters in a way that might soften the harshness and personal vitriol that has infected our public square, rendering it not only repulsive to millions of Americans, but also less capable of effective action to meet our threats and seize our opportunities,” he said.
First Lady Melania Trump participates in the Senate Spouses Luncheon at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 21,2025. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)
Things are about to get ugly…
First Lady Melania Trump is threatening to sue former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, for $1 billion over “defamatory” claims linking her to late financier and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Melania’s attorney Alejandro Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August.
Read the full letter:
“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote.
In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.”
Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and that’s how Melania and the first lady and the President met.”
“If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.”
A source close to the matter told Fox News that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline.
After Fox News published the piece, however, Melania Trump got Biden’s reply addressing the attorney’s letter when Callaghan posted a further interview with him to YouTube on Thursday.
Callaghan, holding up a copy at the interview’s opening, declared: “The day of presidential litigation has arrived!”
“We’re here, maybe, to give you the platform to apologize to the first lady for your statements that you made about her possible connection to Jeffrey Epstein,” the host said to Biden.
“F*ck that! That’s not going to happen,” Biden laughed.
Defending his comments as citation, Biden continued:
First of all is that, what I said was what I have heard and seen reported and written, primarily from Michael Wolff but also dating back all the way to 2019 when the New York Times – I think Annie Carney and and Maggie Haberman – reported that sources said that Jeffrey Epstein claimed to be the person to introduce Donald Trump to Melania at that time.
Biden added that he would not bow down to pressure or lawsuit threats: “I also think they’re bullies and they think that a billion dollars is going to scare me.”
I have this to say to them: If they want to sit down for a deposition and clarify the the nature of the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein, if the president and the First Lady want to do that and all of the known associates around them at the time of whatever time that they met, I’m more than happy to provide them the platform to be able to do it.
The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady’s lawyers.
“Editor’s Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed.
It also comes after famed Democrat strategist James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim.
“In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.”
An aide to the first lady, Nick Clemens, told Fox News in a statement, “First Lady Melania Trump’s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods. The true account of how the First Lady met President Trump is in her best-selling book, ‘Melania.’”
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A judge appointed by Barack Obama has issued a decisive response to a lawsuit filed by a group that claims Donald Trump’s involvement in the U.S. Capitol attack renders him unfit for office.
Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ruled the plaintiffs, led by Boynton Beach attorney Lawrence Caplan, lacked standing to bring a federal lawsuit against the former president, citing the 14th Amendment’s restriction on insurrectionists holding office.
The Washington Times has more on Rosenberg’s response and the ensuing fallout:
“Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge defendant’s qualifications for seeking the presidency, as the injuries alleged are not cognizable and not particular to them,” the judge wrote.
Lawrence Caplan of Boynton Beach argued in a federal court filing with the Southern District of Florida that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prevents someone from holding power in the U.S. government if that individual has rebelled against the government through an insurrection or aided its enemies.
In his filing, Mr. Caplan refers to it as the “disqualification clause” and says it can operate independently of criminal proceedings. But he noted that special counsel Jack Smith has indicted Mr. Trump over the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and allegedly attempting to undermine the 2020 election.
The legal filing also noted Georgia prosecutors have charged the ex-president and his allies with election interference, among other allegations.
“President Trump’s efforts both in Washington, as well as in Georgia and perhaps other states, as well as the consequential assault on the U.S. Capitol, put Trump at the center of the disqualification clause, and as a result of which, make him ineligible to ever serve in federal office again,” Caplan added.
