John Eastman Among 18 Indicted in Arizona ‘Fake Elector’ Scheme
Former Chapman University law dean John Eastman and 17 others have been indicted by an Arizona grand jury in connection with their roles in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The indictments, which were unsealed on Wednesday, include charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
According to the indictment, Eastman and the other defendants conspired to create and submit false electoral certificates falsely declaring that former President Donald Trump had won the election in Arizona and other states. These certificates were then used to pressure state officials to overturn the results of the election.
Eastman is accused of encouraging the Republican electors to vote for Trump on December 14, 2020, and of pressuring the legislature in Arizona and six other states to change the outcome of the election. He is also alleged to have pressured then-Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers to convene a Special Session to decertify Arizona’s presidential electors.
The other 11 defendants who were indicted are all Republicans who served as electors for Trump in Arizona. They are accused of submitting false certificates claiming that they were duly elected electors and that Trump had carried the state. This certificate was then sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was disregarded.
The Arizona charges against Eastman and the other defendants are part of a series of indictments against fake electors in other states. Similar charges have been filed in Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin. Trump himself has also been indicted in federal court over the fake elector scheme.
The indictments against Eastman and the other defendants underscore the ongoing legal efforts to hold accountable those who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
