Jenna Ellis, formerly associated with Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, has been officially censured by a Colorado disciplinary judge for spreading false information about the 2020 presidential election.
As reported by CNN on September 13, 2023, Ellis confessed to violating ethical rules that forbid attorneys from knowingly making untrue statements to the public. She was one of the loudest advocates for Trump’s unproven allegations of election fraud.
Ellis frequently appeared on conservative media outlets and social media to propagate these claims, all without providing substantial evidence to substantiate them.
The Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel issued the censure, detailing ten false statements made by Ellis between November 2020 and January 2021. These included her assertions on Fox News regarding supposed evidence of over 500,000 illegal votes in Arizona, her claims on Newsmax that Trump was the rightful victor, and her allegations that the election was stolen from Trump in multiple states.
The censure argued that Ellis’s actions eroded public trust in the election and violated her duty to be candid with the public. As part of the censure, Ellis agreed to cover $224 in costs and fees.
Despite this censure, Jenna Ellis’s attorney, Michael Melito, affirmed that she remains a practicing attorney in good standing in Colorado, asserting that they achieved the correct outcome amidst the intense political climate.
Ellis is not the sole pro-Trump lawyer to face legal consequences for their involvement in challenging the 2020 election results. In Michigan, nine lawyers were sanctioned for pursuing a groundless lawsuit attempting to overturn Biden’s victory, and in Washington, DC, Rudy Giuliani had his law license suspended for pursuing a baseless lawsuit against Biden’s win in Pennsylvania.
Disciplinary Presiding Judge Bryon M. Large approved Ellis’s censure and provided an opinion on the matter. The Attorney Regulation Counsel’s office confirmed that it is not currently pursuing any additional charges against Ellis.
