Sidney Powell is a name that has been making headlines in the past few years, especially in relation to the 2020 US presidential election.
Sidney Powell is an American lawyer, former federal prosecutor, and conspiracy theorist who attempted to overturn the election results in favor of Donald Trump, making various unfounded claims of widespread fraud and corruption. She is also the author of a book that exposes the alleged misconduct of the Department of Justice in some high-profile cases.
But who is Sidney Powell, and what is her net worth? How did she achieve her fame and fortune, and what are the legal troubles that she is facing now? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, as we explore the life and career of Sidney Powell, net worth and all you need to know.
Early Life and Education
Sidney Powell was born on May 1, 1955, in Durham, North Carolina. She grew up in Raleigh, where she attended Needham Broughton High School. She was interested in becoming a lawyer from a young age, and she excelled in her studies. She graduated from high school at the age of 16, and enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History. She then entered the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1978, at the age of 23. She was one of the youngest graduates of the law school, and she was admitted to the North Carolina Bar the same year.
Legal Career and Notable Cases
Powell began her legal career as an assistant United States attorney in the Western District of Texas, under the supervision of nine US attorneys from both political parties. She was one of the youngest federal prosecutors in the country, and she handled a variety of cases, including fraud, racketeering, terrorism, and drug trafficking. She also prosecuted Jimmy Chagra, who was accused of ordering the assassination of US district judge John H. Wood Jr. in 1979. Chagra was acquitted of the murder charge, but convicted of other crimes, and later confessed his involvement in the plot.
Powell left the government service in 1988, and started her own law firm in 1993, practicing in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia. She specialized in complex commercial litigation and federal appeals, representing corporations, individuals, and governments. She was involved in some notable cases, such as:
– Defending James Brown, a Merrill Lynch executive who was charged with fraud and conspiracy in connection with the Enron scandal. Powell argued that Brown and his co-defendants were innocent victims of prosecutorial misconduct and overreach, and she managed to get their convictions overturned on appeal.
– Representing the state of Alaska in a lawsuit against the federal government over the ownership and control of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Powell argued that Alaska had the right to develop the oil and gas resources in the refuge, and that the federal government had breached its fiduciary duty to the state.
– Representing Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general and former national security adviser to President Trump, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. Powell claimed that Flynn was framed by a covert “deep state” operation, and that the FBI and the Department of Justice had violated his rights and manipulated the evidence. She filed several motions to dismiss the case, withdraw the plea, and hold the prosecutors in contempt, but none of them were granted. In May 2020, the Department of Justice moved to drop the case against Flynn, but the judge did not immediately accept the motion, and the case was still pending as of October 2020.
2020 Election and “Kraken” Lawsuits
Powell rose to national prominence in 2020, when she joined the legal team of President Trump in his efforts to challenge the results of the presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden. Powell made various allegations of widespread voter fraud and conspiracy, involving a secret international cabal of communists, globalists, George Soros, Hugo Chávez, the Clinton Foundation, the CIA, and thousands of Democratic and Republican officials, including Georgia governor Brian Kemp. She claimed that they used voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic to manipulate the votes and switch millions of them from Trump to Biden. She also claimed that she had evidence to prove her claims, and that she would release the “Kraken”, a mythical sea monster, to expose the fraud and overturn the election.
However, Powell did not provide any credible or verifiable evidence to support her claims, and her lawsuits were rejected by courts and election officials in several states, including Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin. She also faced criticism and ridicule from the media, the public, and even some of Trump’s allies, who distanced themselves from her and her conspiracy theories. In November 2020, Trump’s legal team issued a statement saying that Powell was not a member of their team, and that she was acting on her own. Powell continued to file lawsuits independently, and to appear on various media outlets to spread her allegations, but she failed to achieve any success in reversing the election outcome.
Net Worth and Sources of Income
Powell’s net worth is estimated to be between $10 million and $30 million, according to various sources. She has earned her fortune through her legal career, her speaking engagements, and her book sales. Powell is a highly paid attorney, and she has represented a number of high-profile clients, charging them hefty fees for her services. She is also a frequent speaker at conservative events and conferences, where she shares her views and opinions on various legal and political issues. She also earns royalties from her book, Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice, which was published in 2014, and which details her experiences and allegations of judicial misconduct in some of the cases that she handled or observed.
Legal Challenges and Controversies
Powell’s involvement in the 2020 election lawsuits has brought her a lot of legal challenges and controversies, as she faces lawsuits, sanctions, investigations, and criminal charges from various parties. Some of the legal actions that she is facing or has faced include:
– A defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, seeking $1.3 billion in damages, for making false and malicious statements about the company and its voting machines. Powell filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that her statements were protected by the First Amendment, and that no reasonable person would believe them as factual. The judge denied her motion, and the case is ongoing.
– A defamation lawsuit filed by Smartmatic, seeking $2.7 billion in damages, for making false and malicious statements about the company and its voting machines. Powell filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that her statements were protected by the First Amendment, and that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case. The judge denied her motion, and the case is ongoing.
– A motion for sanctions filed by the city of Detroit, seeking to hold Powell and her co-counsel accountable for filing a frivolous and baseless lawsuit in Michigan, and for making false and misleading statements to the court and the public. The judge granted the motion, and referred the matter to the state bar for disciplinary action. The judge also ordered Powell and her co-counsel to pay the legal fees and costs incurred by the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan in defending the lawsuit.
– A motion for sanctions filed by the state of Wisconsin, seeking to hold Powell and her co-counsel accountable for filing a frivolous and baseless lawsuit in Wisconsin, and for making false and misleading statements to the court and the public. The judge granted the motion, and referred the matter to the state bar for disciplinary action. The judge also ordered Powell and her co-counsel to pay the legal fees and costs incurred by the state of Wisconsin in defending the lawsuit.
– A criminal indictment filed by the Fulton County District Attorney in Georgia, charging Powell and 18 other co-defendants, including former President Trump, with violating the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit election fraud, computer crimes, and defrauding the state, for their attempts to interfere with and overturn the election results in Georgia. Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with election administration, as part of a plea deal. She was sentenced to six years of probation, and agreed to testify against the other defendants.
Conclusion
Sidney Powell is a controversial lawyer who has been involved in some of the most contentious and sensational legal cases in the US history. She has made a name for herself as a fierce and outspoken advocate for her clients and causes, but she has also faced a lot of criticism and backlash for her allegations and actions. She has amassed a considerable net worth and a loyal following, but she has also incurred a lot of legal troubles and liabilities. She is a polarizing figure who has inspired admiration and admiration, as well as disdain.
