Yesterday, former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis agreed to a three-year suspension from the bar in Colorado. This decision follows her acceptance of censure for numerous false public statements about election fraud in 2020 and a guilty plea in Georgia for abetting false statements and writings. Her involvement in various election-related legal controversies has cast a long shadow over her career. According to an order from the state disciplinary counsel, her conduct necessitated this suspension.
Ellis, whose legal career began in the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, was terminated for incompetence early on. She contested this, claiming ethical objections to prosecutions. However, the Colorado Sun reported she was fired for “unsatisfactory performance” and violations of the Colorado Victim Rights Act.
Despite these setbacks, Ellis crafted a varied resume, including dubious representations of her experience. A six-month role at a discovery processing company became, in her description, a stint as an “attorney for the US Department of State.” She also labeled herself a “professor of constitutional law” after serving as a pre-law advisor at a Christian college. By 2019, through media appearances, she had repositioned herself as a “constitutional law attorney” for the Trump campaign, gravitating towards the so-called Elite Superfriends Sparklemagic Strike Team Task Force.
Ellis’s contributions to the Trump campaign included advocating state legislatures to overturn the 2020 election results, without formally participating in any court cases. Her rhetoric extended to inflammatory social media posts and controversial public statements. For example, she disparaged Republican pollster Frank Luntz and artist Lizzo, reflecting her alignment with far-right views.
In a letter to the Presiding Disciplinary Judge, Ellis claimed her actions were misguided but well-intentioned. “Lawyers by profession should first be truth seekers,” she wrote, admitting she zealously believed and propagated false claims about election integrity.
Despite her suspension, Ellis’s career in conservative media remains active. She recently advised Trump to focus on border issues, erroneously claiming on her radio show that President Biden is “importing a new electorate.” Paradoxically, Ellis acknowledged that her disbarment would have little impact on her profession given her current media-driven role.
As Ellis continues her advocacy work, her social media presence remains replete with religious rhetoric and political commentary. This juxtaposition underscores the complex and often contentious path she has charted within the public eye.
For more details on Jenna Ellis’s suspension and her career trajectory, visit Above the Law.