Jenna Ellis, once a prominent figure on President Trump’s legal team, built a reputation pushing falsehoods about the 2020 election. Publicly censured, criminally convicted, and professionally disbarred, her story is a cautionary tale about the perils of weaponizing disinformation.

From “constitutional law attorney” to sanctioned liar

Ellis joined Trump’s 2020 “elite strike‑force” legal team and prominently echoed baseless claims—that Trump had won in a landslide and that the election was stolen—across media platforms. These included unsubstantiated claims of tens of thousands of illegal votes in battleground states (en.wikipedia.org).

In March 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court publicly censured her. She acknowledged making ten misrepresentations, including falsely stating “widespread fraud,” undermining public confidence in the democratic system (en.wikipedia.org).

Guilty plea and felony conviction

Ellis pleaded guilty in October 2023 to a felony in Georgia, admitting she had aided and abetted false statements under oath by repeating claims that over 10,000 dead people and thousands of unregistered or felon voters participated in the election (en.wikipedia.org). Her sentence included five years’ probation, restitution, community service, an apology letter, and an agreement to testify against co-conspirators (en.wikipedia.org).

Professional accountability: loss of law license

In May 2024, Colorado suspended Ellis’s law license for three years, effective July 2, citing significant actual harm to public trust and the legal profession (fox5atlanta.com). The suspension followed a settlement with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, triggered by her Georgia felony plea and prior censure (axios.com).

X as an amplifier, not an editor

Ellis leveraged X (formerly Twitter) to spread her claims after Musk’s acquisition, exploiting the platform’s reduced moderation to reach a large audience. The amplification of her disinformation—over one of America’s most powerful social platforms—helped entrench false narratives among millions, contributing to polarizing the electorate.

A lesson in professional ethics and civic duty

Ellis’s case is a stark reminder that professional accountability and ethical practice must prevail over political loyalty. Lawyers wield public trust—once broken, it’s hard to repair. Her cooperation in future cases may buffer legal consequences, but her professional credibility remains tarnished.