“Amplifying baseless claims” is not a known criminal offense, and it is something that a great many lawyers have been known to do. Not to mention the New York Times! Nevertheless, Ellis made a tearful confession in court this morning …

In general, it is not a crime to make a false statement, and I don’t think a statute construed that broadly would be constitutional. I am not sure what “matter” was “within the jurisdiction…of state government” for purposes of this case. The 2020 election? Litigation over the 2020 election?

[John raises some good questions here, but those prompt another: if none of this was a crime, why did an attorney plead guilty to the charge? Ellis had had some success raising money for her defense, after all, and she ended up pleading guilty to a felony rather than misdemeanors, as Powell did. Presumably an attorney would grasp these matters, especially an attorney caught in the middle of the case. But just to emphasize, I think John raises solid points about the overall case here. Read it all. — Ed]