Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was charged with conspiring to interfere with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, has been sentenced to five years of probation, a $5,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service. He is also barred from participating in any “polling activities” while on probation, and must write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia. Additionally, he must testify truthfully in any future proceedings in the case.
Hall is the first of the 19 co-defendants, including former President Donald Trump, to plead guilty in the case brought by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office. The case alleges that Trump and his associates attempted to subvert the election results in Georgia by pressuring state officials, spreading false claims of fraud, and tampering with voting machines.
Hall was accused of being part of a scheme to unlawfully access voter data and ballot counting machines at the Coffee County election office on January 7, 2021. He spent hours inside a restricted area of the office when voting systems were breached, which was connected to efforts by pro-Trump conspiracy theorists to find voter fraud. Hall was captured on surveillance video at the office on the day of the breach. He also testified before a special grand jury in the Fulton County case and acknowledged that he gained access to a voting machine.
Hall entered a plea agreement with prosecutors on September 29, 2023, and pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of an election. He faced numerous felony counts, including violation of the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit election fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the state.
Hall’s plea deal is seen as a stonking victory for the prosecution, as it could pave the way for more cooperation from other defendants and more evidence against Trump and his allies. Hall has agreed to provide a recorded statement and testify in any related court hearings and trials stemming from the sprawling 41-count indictment that was unsealed in August.
Hall’s plea deal is also seen as a stonking blow for Trump and his supporters, who have continued to deny the legitimacy of the 2020 election and claim that it was rigged by widespread fraud. Trump himself is facing multiple criminal investigations and lawsuits related to his attempts to overturn the election results in Georgia and other states.
