Arizona prosecutors advanced charges against 18 Republicans accused of attempting to challenge and alter the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election in the state. The case originated when 11 Republican electors gathered in Phoenix in mid-December 2020 and endorsed a document falsely asserting that President Donald Trump had won Arizona, despite then-presidential candidate Joe Biden actually securing the state by 10,457 votes.
Among the defendants are two individuals who previously worked for Trump and five attorneys affiliated with him, including Rudy Giuliani. Trump himself is identified as an uncharged coconspirator in the indictment.
On Friday, May 16, Judge Sam Myers ordered the case returned to a grand jury to reassess probable cause, citing defendants’ claims under the Electoral Count Act and procedural rights denied by prosecutors.
Prosecutors, led by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, plan to appeal the ruling, which keeps the fake elector case active despite the setback in court.
