Trump's Former Attorney Jenna Ellis Has Been Associated With Fraud and Bigamy — What Is Going On?
Jenna Ellis has been accused of a lot of things, but very few people saw "bigamist" coming.
Published Aug. 6 2024, 6:01 p.m. ET
When Jenna Ellis was only 36 years old, she was one of the lawyers tapped to work on the legal team for former president Donald Trump's re-election campaign. It was a strange trajectory for Ellis, who had no previous experience in constitutional law, per the Wall Street Journal. In fact, Ellis had very little legal experience in general, at least compared to most people in her position. Her presence in the White House certainly confused many.
Given Ellis's seeming penchant for stretching the truth when it came to her own bio, it wasn't surprising that she would be indicted for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia. She also faced charges in the state of Arizona. With everything going on, will Jenna Ellis be disbarred? Here's what we know.
Will Jenna Ellis be disbarred?
In May 2024, Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Ellis's Colorado law license was suspended by the Colorado's Attorney Regulation Counsel (OARC). In March 2023, the OARC "first censured Ellis after she acknowledged making 10 'misrepresentations' on television and social media during Trump's efforts to contest his loss to President Joe Biden," the outlet reported. Seven months later she was entering into a plea deal with the state of Georgia.
In this deal, she was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution fees, do 100 hours of community service, write an apology letter to the people of Georgia, and testify as needed. Ellis's license can be reinstated if she proves "by clear and convincing evidence that she has been rehabilitated, has complied with all disciplinary orders and rules, and is fit to practice law."
What charges have been brought against Jenna Ellis?
In Georgia, Ellis was charged with violating the state's anti-racketeering law. The suspended lawyer allegedly "helped author plans on how to disrupt and delay congressional certification of the 2020 election's results on Jan. 6, 2021, urged state legislators to unlawfully appoint a set of presidential electors loyal to Trump at a hearing in Pennsylvania, and pushed state lawmakers to back false, pro-Trump electors in Georgia as well as Arizona and Michigan," reported Fox 5.
Ellis is also cooperating with the prosecution in a "fake electors" case in Arizona, per NBC News. After signing a cooperation agreement, all fraud and conspiracy charges against her were dropped. "I am grateful to Ms. Ellis for her cooperation with our investigation and prosecution," said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, via NPR. "Her insights are invaluable and will greatly aid the State in proving its case in court."
Is Jenna Ellis lying about being married as well?
Obviously we're going to take anything far-right political activist Laura Loomer says with a grain of salt, but she believes Ellis was still married to her first husband when she married her second. On her website, Loomer claims that Ellis married an Irish national named Shane Butler in December 2014. This marriage was annulled five months later citing "Mr. Butler as a freeloader and Ms. Ellis as an immigration scam victim," per Loomer.
Five years later, Ellis apparently married author, documentary filmmaker, Christian radio presenter, and speaker Dave Rives. He is the man behind David Rives Ministries. Loomer believes that Ellis forged the annulment paperwork, and to prove this, she worked with a forensic handwriting expert who believes Butler's signature was forged. If this is true, Loomer is stating that Ellis is a bigamist. Again, we are merely reporting on Loomer's theories.
