In a significant development, a grand jury in Arizona has indicted 18 co-defendants, including prominent figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and John Eastman, on charges related to their alleged involvement in attempting to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. The indictment, which follows a year-long investigation led by Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes, lists 11 named defendants and seven redacted defendants.
The charges against the defendants include six counts of forgery, one count of conspiracy, one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, and one count of fraudulent schemes and practices. While the names of the redacted defendants residing outside of Arizona were not disclosed in the filing, The Washington Post reported their identities based on the provided descriptions in the indictment.
Among the other indicted individuals identified by the publication are Jenna Ellis, former attorney for Donald Trump, Christina Bobb, recent RNC appointee, Boris Epshteyn, Trump campaign adviser, and Mike Roman, a campaign aide. The indictment also includes former Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward and her husband Michael Ward, Arizona state senators Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman, and Tyler Bowyer, an RNC committeeman and Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point Action.
Notably, Donald Trump himself is mentioned in the indictment but not charged, being referred to as “Unindicted Coconspirator 1.” The document states that the defendants and unindicted coconspirators conspired to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency, aiming to keep Trump in office against the will of Arizona’s voters.
Sources familiar with the investigation revealed that Kelli Ward’s actions as a fake elector were under scrutiny. This included a pivotal meeting in December 2020, where she and ten other Republicans signed documents claiming to be Arizona’s legitimate electors and casting their votes for Trump, despite his loss in the state by 10,457 votes.
The indictment alleges that the defendants deceived the citizens of Arizona by falsely claiming that their votes were contingent on a legal challenge that could change the election outcome. In reality, their intention was for these false votes to influence then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the Biden-Harris votes on January 6, 2021, irrespective of the legal challenge’s outcome.
This indictment marks the fourth instance of criminal charges against fake electors, with similar cases filed in Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia, the latter of which also includes Trump as a co-defendant.
1 Response
This indictment is a clear indication that the legal system is taking the allegations of election fraud seriously. It is important for our democracy that any attempts to undermine the integrity of our elections are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted if necessary. The involvement of high-profile figures like Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows only adds to the significance of this case. It will be interesting to see how the legal proceedings unfold and what evidence will be presented to support these charges. Regardless of the outcome, this indictment serves as a reminder that no one