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Jenna Ellis is an American attorney and conservative commentator known for her involvement in high-profile political and legal matters. Born on November 1, 1984, in Colorado, she emerged as a notable figure during Donald Trump’s presidency, particularly as a senior legal adviser to his 2020 re-election campaign. She positioned herself as a constitutional law attorney, often appearing on cable news to defend Trump and his policies, though her legal experience has been scrutinized by some outlets, which noted her limited background in federal cases and constitutional law prior to her prominence.
Ellis began her career with roles such as a law clerk in the Colorado Attorney General’s office and a deputy district attorney in Weld County, Colorado, where she handled misdemeanor cases like traffic violations and minor crimes. She later worked in private practice and as a contract attorney for the U.S. Department of State. She also taught legal studies at Colorado Christian University and authored a book in 2015, The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution, where she argued that U.S. law should align with biblical principles—a reflection of her evangelical Christian beliefs.
Her political stance shifted over time. Initially critical of Trump in 2015 and early 2016, calling him an “idiot” and questioning his character, she became a staunch supporter after he secured the Republican nomination. Hired by Trump in November 2019, she gained attention during the 2020 election aftermath as part of his legal team, dubbed the “elite strike force,” alongside Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. This group pushed unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud to challenge Joe Biden’s victory, though their efforts largely failed in court due to lack of evidence.
Ellis’s legal troubles followed. In March 2023, she was censured by the Colorado Supreme Court for making reckless misrepresentations about the election. In August 2023, she was indicted in Georgia with 18 others, including Trump, for allegedly participating in a racketeering scheme to overturn the election results there. She pleaded guilty in October 2023 to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements, receiving five years of probation. Separately, in April 2024, she faced charges in Arizona for similar election-related actions, and her Colorado law license was suspended for three years in May 2024.
On a personal note, Ellis was homeschooled, earned a journalism degree from Colorado State University, and later a law degree from the University of Richmond. She was briefly married to David Rives, a creationist broadcaster, from 2019 to 2020 or 2021 (accounts vary). Her career and public persona blend legal advocacy, conservative media presence, and a strong religious worldview, making her a polarizing figure in American politics.