Eleven Republicans in Arizona have been charged with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery for submitting a document to Congress falsely declaring that Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, won the state’s electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.
The 11 individuals, who had been nominated as Arizona’s Republican electors, met in Phoenix on December 14, 2020, and signed a certificate claiming that Trump had carried the state. This document was then sent to Congress and the National Archives but was ultimately ignored.
The charges against the fake electors come as part of a broader investigation into efforts to overturn the election results. Similar indictments have been brought against fake electors in Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, and against Trump himself.
The Arizona Attorney General’s office, now led by Democrat Kris Mayes, has stated that the names of the remaining seven indicted individuals will be released once they have been served with charges. The office has declined to comment further on the investigation, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
The 11 Republicans charged in Arizona include:
– Kelli Ward, chair of the Arizona Republican Party from 2019 to early 2023
– State Senator Jake Hoffman
– Tyler Bowyer, executive of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and member of the Republican National Committee
– State Senator Anthony Kern
– Greg Safsten, former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party
– Energy industry executive James Lamon
– Robert Montgomery, chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee in 2020
– Samuel Moorhead, Republican precinct committee member in Gila County
– Nancy Cottle, former first vice president of the Arizona Federation of Republican Women
– Loraine Pellegrino, president of the Ahwatukee Republican Women
– Michael Ward, osteopathic physician and husband of Kelli Ward
None of the defendants have yet responded to phone messages seeking comment.
The charges against the Arizona fake electors mark a significant development in the ongoing investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. They underscore the determination of prosecutors to hold accountable those who sought to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.
