An Arizona grand jury has indicted 18 individuals, including former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, for their roles in challenging Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The indictment, released on Wednesday, names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020. These individuals, including the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, and two sitting state lawmakers, face nine counts each of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
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Seven other defendants, including Giuliani and Meadows, were not immediately identified as they had not yet been served with the documents. However, they were readily identifiable based on descriptions provided in the indictment.
Trump himself was not charged but was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The indictments make Arizona the fourth state where allies of the former president have been charged in connection with Trump’s controversial challenges after the 2020 election.
Democratic state Attorney General Kris Mayes, in a video released by her office, stated, “I will not allow American democracy to be undermined. It’s too important.”
The indictment refers to Giuliani as an attorney “who was often identified as the Mayor” and prosecutors said he spread false allegations of election fraud. Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff in 2020, is also indirectly mentioned.
Other unnamed defendants are believed to be Mike Roman, Trump’s director of Election Day operations; John Eastman, a lawyer who devised a strategy to persuade Congress not to certify the election; and Christina Bobb, a lawyer who worked with Giuliani.
Lawyers for the defendants maintain their clients’ innocence, and called the accusations politically motivated.
On Dec. 14, 2020, the 11 individuals nominated as Arizona’s Republican electors met in Phoenix to sign a certificate claiming they were “duly elected and qualified” electors and that Trump had carried the state. The Arizona Republican Party posted a video of the signing ceremony on social media, and the document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
Multiple lawsuits by Trump’s campaign challenging the official Arizona election results were unsuccessful.
Similar charges have been filed against individuals in Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia for their roles in the alternative electors plan. In Wisconsin, 10 Republicans settled a civil lawsuit, admitting their actions were part of an effort to overturn Biden’s victory.
Trump himself was indicted in federal court in August over efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, including the use of alternative electors. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Thursday regarding his claim that he cannot be prosecuted for acts committed while serving as president.
Some states, like New Mexico and Pennsylvania, have not filed charges against their respective electors due to various legal considerations.
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In Arizona, Attorney General Mayes’ predecessor, Republican Mark Brnovich, conducted an investigation into the 2020 election, but the alternative elector allegations were not part of that examination.
The individuals facing charges in Arizona include prominent figures in the state’s Republican Party and political circles.
In response to the indictment, state Sen. Jake Hoffman accused Mayes of weaponizing the attorney general’s office, stating, “Let me be unequivocal, I am innocent of any crime, I will vigorously defend myself, and I look forward to the day when I am vindicated of this naked political persecution by the judicial process.”
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