Eleven Republican electors in Arizona have been charged with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery for signing a false certificate claiming that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election in the state. The charges mark the fourth state to bring charges against fake electors, following Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia. The Arizona charges were announced by Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, who has been investigating the 2020 election. The defendants include Kelli Ward, the former chair of the state GOP; state Sen. Jake Hoffman; and state Sen. Anthony Kern. The charges come after a series of lawsuits challenging Biden’s victory in Arizona were dismissed, including one filed by the defendants themselves. The Arizona charges are part of a growing number of investigations and prosecutions related to the fake elector scheme. Prosecutors allege that the defendants attempted to undermine the integrity of the election by submitting false certificates to Congress and the National Archives.
The charges against the Arizona electors are part of a broader effort by prosecutors to hold accountable those who participated in the fake elector scheme. In December, a Nevada grand jury indicted six Republicans with felony charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument in connection with false election certificates. They have pleaded not guilty. Michigan’s Attorney General in July filed felony charges that included forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery against 16 Republican fake electors. One had charges dropped after reaching a cooperation deal and the 15 remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty. Three fake electors also have been charged in Georgia alongside Trump and others in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the results of the presidential election. They have pleaded not guilty. In Wisconsin, 10 Republicans who posed as electors settled a civil lawsuit, admitting their actions were part of an effort to overturn Biden’s victory. There is no known criminal investigation in Wisconsin.
The Arizona charges are the latest in a series of legal actions taken against those involved in the fake elector scheme. The indictments underscore the seriousness of the efforts to undermine the 2020 election and the determination of prosecutors to hold those responsible accountable.
