Arizona grand jury indicts 18 in alleged 2020 fake elector scheme tied to Trump

An Arizona state grand jury has indicted 18 people, including key former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and chief of staff Mark Meadows, as well as a group of so-called “fake electors.” Those indicted also include former Arizona GOP Chair Kelli Ward, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory in the state. The charges include conspiracy, fraud and forgery.

Following the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, Ward tweeted, “Congress is adjourned. Send the elector choice back to the legislatures.” Ward, a Trump elector, consistently promoted false claims that Arizona’s election results were rigged.

While Trump is not among those charged, the indictment labels Donald Trump as “unindicted coconspirator 1” and follows a 13-month investigation led by Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Trump lost Arizona by just under 11,000 votes.

Arizona is one of seven states where “alternate electors” falsely claimed that Trump won. Prosecutors have charged similar “alternate electors” in Nevada, Georgia and Michigan.

The Republican Party of Arizona has criticized the indictments as politically motivated as the 2024 election approaches.