"The Kraken cracked," "The Kraken is down": The internet erupted with the news that Sidney Powell agreed to a plea deal in the RICO case in which she's a co-defendant of Donald Trump Thursday.
Powell, who previously called herself "The Kraken" during the 2020 election overthrow attempt, must cooperate with Georgia prosecutors and has already met with them overnight to give information, according to the reports.
The plea deal is something that former prosecutor Joyce Vance predicted in her MSNBC piece Thursday morning, saying that another deal – made with Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall earlier this month – must have given significant information. She speculated mere hours before Powell's deal was announced that the Kraken would likely follow Hall's example.
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"Unlawfully possessing ballots and using a computer without authority with the intention to access personal information and interfere with the election," explained Georgia law professor Anthony Michael Kreis about Powell's involvement.
"This is really significant. This is a person who knows a lot and has a significant story to tell," said Katie Phang on MSNBC as the news rolled in.
"Reminder," began legal analyst Bradley Moss, "that Trump tried to make Sidney Powell an emergency Special Counsel in the final weeks of his presidency. She's now pleading guilty to felonies."
Those felonies, however, as part of the plea deal, will be cut down to misdemeanors, which is why she won't get jail time.
Former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal reposted Moss' comment saying, "Sidney Powell, leader of the Krakens, pleading guilty to crimes in Georgia is very bad news for criminal defendant Donald Trump. Those of us in the reality-based community knew this for years, but for Powell to join and to commit to testifying truthfully, is devastating for Trump
"This is enormous, bodes badly for Trump, no?" asked former Ambassador Luis Moreno.
One of the main things analysts agreed on is Powell's deal in the Georgia case may as well mean she'll cooperate in the federal case in Washington.
"The Cheese(bro) really stands alone in Fulton County now," quipped Georgia law professor Anthony Michael Kreis. "The upshot for Chesebro is that he no longer has Sidney Powell, a not evenly-keeled and patently guilty co-defendant, sitting next to him at trial. The downside is that the prosecution can focus on him as the mastermind of the plot, which may be harder to distract from now."
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin explained, "This is exactly what the Fulton County, DA hoped would happen: Scott Hall's plea would lead them to Powell, whose own plea deal could lead them to . . . bigger fish without trial dates."
The question will be whether Ken Chesebro will go to trial and fight back against the charges. Jury selection is expected to start on Friday.
"Literally Release the Kraken going on," said national security analyst Marcy Wheeler with a screen capture of the live stream.
"Who knew Trump's most successful Reality TV Show was going to be a contest between lawyers," Wheeler also quipped.
" >First to be disbarred
>First to plead guilty to a plea deal
>First to plead to a felony
>First to declare BK"
