In a major development related to the 2020 presidential election, an Arizona state grand jury has indicted 11 individuals known as “fake electors” for their involvement in an alleged scheme to overturn the election results in the state. These individuals signed a certificate falsely claiming to be Arizona’s 11 electors to the Electoral College, despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state by over 10,000 votes. The Arizona Republican Party played a role in documenting and promoting this false certification.
Among those charged is Kelli Ward, the former chair of the Arizona GOP. Ward was a vocal proponent of baseless claims about election fraud and advocated for sending the choice of electors back to the legislatures after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Other individuals charged include state legislators Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman, Michael Ward (Kelli Ward’s husband), Tyler Bowyer (RNC’s Arizona committeeman), Greg Safsten (former Arizona GOP executive director), former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Lamon, Robert Montgomery (former head of the Cochise County GOP), and Republican Party activists Samuel Moorhead, Nancy Cottle, and Loraine Pellegrino.
The indictment in Arizona is the latest legal action stemming from Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Similar “alternate electors” have been charged in other states, including Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan. Kenneth Chesebro, one of the planners of the alleged scheme, has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in Georgia.
The charges against these individuals underscore the seriousness of their actions and the commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has emphasized the importance of holding accountable those who attempt to undermine democratic elections. Her term has also seen the prosecution of other election-related cases arising from Trump’s false claims about fraud in the 2020 election.
