Forgiving Jenna Ellis

How much grace is a remorseful coup-enabler owed?

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Jenna Ellis reacts after reading a statement after pleading guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, inside Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's courtroom in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 24, 2023. (Photo by John Bazemore-Pool/Getty Images)

I would make a poor Christian, as I find it hard to forgive.

“Everyone finds it hard to forgive,” a Christian might reply. “That’s why we need Christianity.”

Fair enough. Let me rephrase: I resent being encouraged to forgive, at least when the wrong done is substantial.

When a transgression is small and relatable, it’s churlish to hold a grudge. We’re all sinners; who am I to cast a stone at someone for lying?

But the reflexive hectoring to forgive even grandiose wrongs irritates me. Shame is a powerful deterrent. Our culture, in particular our political culture, would benefit from more of it. The cheaper grace is, the less expensive malfeasance becomes.

So perhaps we should be stingy in doling out grace to someone who committed a truly grandiose civic sin. If, say, you abetted a demagogue’s plot to keep himself in power despite having lost an election, I’ll chuck a stone at you for that.

All of this is a prelude to the spectacle that played out in Georgia on Tuesday morning. Jenna Ellis, a member of the “elite strike force” legal team that tried to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat in court, appeared before a judge to accept a plea deal in Fulton County’s criminal case against her. And she did something so uncharacteristic for a prominent Trump apologist that I wonder if it’s unprecedented.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Nick, this was a pretty tone-deaf column because you completely misunderstand the nature of forgiveness. It is entirely possible to have forgiveness and justice, because forgiveness does not mean there are no consequences for actions! It is entirely consistent for a Christian to forgive a person who murdered their loved one and still support the death penalty for that murderer. This total lack of understanding of a separation between consequences within this world and forgiveness is at the heart of so many atheists’ resentment about being asked to forgive egregious wrongs. I can forgive Jenna Ellis without thinking we should let her off. Of course she should still face consequences for her actions. I can forgive someone in public life for misbehaving and still think they should take it in the neck in court because we need to set an example.

    Justice is impartial. Not vindictive. Not revengeful. If anything, that requires putting aside personal feelings by forgiving, so that we can move on to a cold laying out of consequences for actions. Not only do you misunderstand forgiveness, you appear to misunderstand justice.

    Absolutely, let us forgive Jenna Ellis. And let us also hold her responsible for her actions. I do not need to see her suffer unduly to fulfill some personal desire for revenge. She is a fallen sinner like everyone else. And yet she took actions that in a society governed by the rule of law must incur harsh consequences and therefore the cold logic of justice dictates that after having forgiven her we must ensure she faces those consequences.

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    Gibby

    No forgiveness here. She participated in putting the country through this. I actually find this MORE slimy than what she did. Because now she is piling on against a single person when she shares equal blame.

    It's a mistake to think that this was just Donald Trump. They all did it. They all engaged in fraud and harmed this country in ways that will be difficult to heal from.

    The only way I would respect one of these people is if they said "I cant believe I did what I did and I deserve everything I get...in fact we all deserve to be in prison for a few decades and feel grateful that we get that and not a firing squad". If they said something like that I would refrain from thinking ill of them and might send them a nice letter during their time served.

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  3. AJLiberty

    I understand this is rhetorical, but why should I personalize her actions? Yes, her actions affect me through the body politic and the aggregate effect of all those who have spread the hyperbolic election lies has rendered us less governable, but I don't take her statement as genuinely seeking forgiveness from all non-MAGA Americans.

    Her pleadings are to the criminal justice system and to secure her deal. Hopefully her future testimony will assist in prosecuting all those more intimate to the election denial plan. But let's be fair....like many good Americans and for her own personal ambition, she got caught up in the intoxication of Trumpism. As is typical, it frequently ends in a morally suspect quagmire...and here, in a criminally suspect one too.

    Who would have thought that rooting out Trumpism would be such a long and grueling process? An obvious grift appears to not be that obvious to many. Our system needs good people. This extended episode shows us how bad people can fuel a mob.

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    Larry.Jones

    I hope the Colorado Bar brings a new licensure compaint against Ms. Ellis after her Ga. guilty plea. Forgiveness may have to wait, but disbarment shold be immediate. If this betrayal of her swearing-in oath does not cause her license to be revoked then the rules of professional conduct don't mean much.

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    David D Nelson

    When it comes to Ellis, why fret over "to forgive" or, "not to forgive"? I will never cross her path and she will soon be a distant memory. Ms. Ellis will pay a price meted out by the justice system, the bar, and public opinion. I'll save my forgiveness hand-wringing over things that affect me directly, and God knows there is enough "...forgive those who trespass against us" receipts to fill my remaining years.

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    Daniel Jett

    Wow. What a terrific column. Thank you.

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  7. Ken Motamed

    "Those wrongs were done to me, personally, and to you. So forgiveness is ours to give or withhold as we see fit." What makes the coup-plotters' attempt insignificant is the extremely low probability of success. I'm sure Ellis cares infinitely more about her future as a lawyer than whether anyone in the general population forgives her or not.

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    PJ

    I used to be a sinner, but then I gave Christianity up. Sin is a religious construct, necessary for imaginary sky daddies.

    My Christian forgiveness ideas have morphed into letting go of that which I will cause myself personal harm. Hold people accountable then let go of anything other than protecting yourself and others incapable of protecting themselves.

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    1. Ken Motamed

      The combination of inherited sin and a loving god is easily the most laughable aspect of Christianity.

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        Juan J

        Life is amazing. Our natural world is beautiful. It even provides for us. Our Creator must love us for having blessed us so. We evolved from animals and retain our animal instincts. Sin is inherent in us. We see how our actions can cause harm. We are capable of making choices. Choices that minimize harm to others.

        Bronze age religion was really on to something. They reflected on their lives and history and pondered over the moral significance and ramifications of it all. In these moral reflections they engaged in dialogue with the Great Force that created matter and brought about existence.

        There is so much to learn and grow with those ancient scriptures.

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  9. Truman

    I don't get that I should or should not 'forgive' Jenna Ellis or anyone else involved in abetting Trump's temper tantrum that he lost. I just consider them idiots and fools, morons and dolts. I suppose if they come to realize they were idiots, etc., I would hold them in less contempt than I do now. Maybe that's the same as forgiveness.

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  10. Vaddeman

    As a non-Christian, I don't understand the fetish with 'forgiving' those who've done some legal wrong. The law imposes punishment as it can, whether jail, fine, public service, etc. Forgiveness has no practical effect, either in righting the wrong or changing the root behaviour. Maybe because I have no personal feelings toward the miscreants, but there's nothing for me to forgive.

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