Arizona ‘Fake Electors’ Charged with Conspiracy, Fraud and Forgery
Eleven Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Donald Trump beat Joe Biden in Arizona in the 2020 presidential election were charged Wednesday with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. This marks the fourth state to bring charges against ‘fake electors.’
The eleven individuals, nominated to be Arizona’s Republican electors, met in Phoenix on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate claiming they were ‘duly elected and qualified’ electors and that Trump had carried the state.
The document was subsequently sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored. Seven additional individuals were indicted, but their names were redacted from records released by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes. Her office stated that the names would be disclosed after they were served with the charges.
Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes. Of the eight lawsuits that unsuccessfully challenged Biden’s victory in the state, one was filed by the 11 Republicans who would later sign the certificate declaring Trump as the winner.
Days after the dismissal of that lawsuit, they participated in the certificate signing. The Arizona charges follow a series of indictments against fake electors in Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia.
Scheme to Overturn Election Results
According to the indictment against Trump, when he failed to convince state officials to alter the election outcome in his favor, he and his Republican allies began recruiting fake electors in battleground states to sign certificates falsely stating he had won.
In early January, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the state’s five Republican electors could not be prosecuted under current law. No charges have been filed in Pennsylvania, where fake electors added a caveat to their election certificate stating it was submitted in case they were later recognized as duly elected.
Arizona Election-Related Cases
In a separate election-related case brought by Mayes’ office, two Republican officials in Cochise County who delayed canvassing the 2022 general election results face felony charges. A grand jury indicted Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby on charges of conspiracy and interference with an election officer.
The Republicans facing charges in the fake elector case include prominent figures such as Kelli Ward, the former state GOP chair, and state Sen. Jake Hoffman.
