An Arizona grand jury has indicted Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and other prominent Trump allies on felony charges. The charges allege that they were involved in efforts to obstruct the lawful transfer of power from then-President Trump to Joe Biden.
Seven Trump aides, along with 11 Arizona Republicans who were fervent supporters of the former president, have been charged. These individuals were involved in signing documents that falsely claimed to be the state’s legitimate electors during the 2020 election.
The former president is not facing any charges, but he is named as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The 18 defendants are facing accusations from prosecutors for allegedly planning and executing a scheme. This scheme involved raising false claims of election fraud in order to put pressure on Arizona election officials. The intention behind this pressure was to overturn President Biden’s narrow victory in the state.
On Wednesday, a publicized indictment revealed a series of events that took place in December 2020. The indictment highlights lawsuits that were filed, alleged messages sent to county and state officials, as well as the signing of the “fake elector” documents.
11 pro-Trump electors are currently facing a total of nine charges, which include counts of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
The indictment states that Joseph Biden was elected as President on November 3, 2020, in both Arizona and the United States.
The paragraph states that the defendants and unindicted coconspirators were not willing to accept the fact and they conspired to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency. Their intention was to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office, going against the will of Arizona’s voters. If successful, this scheme would have deprived Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted.
The charging documents identify only the 11 alternate electors by name. However, the descriptions provided within the documents clarify that the other defendants include prominent individuals such as Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who now serves as Trump’s attorney; Meadows, the White House chief of staff during Trump’s presidency; Epshteyn, a trusted adviser to Trump for many years; Eastman, an attorney involved in Trump’s efforts to overturn the election; Bobb, another attorney who previously worked for Trump and now serves the Republican National Committee; and Roman, the director of Election Day operations for Trump’s 2020 campaign.
After serving the individuals, the Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’s (D) office has stated that their names will be made public.
“I know that for some of you, today has been a long time coming. And I understand that there will be critics who question why I conducted this investigation in the first place,” Mayes stated in a recorded video as he announced the charges.
In her statement, she emphasized her firm stance on not allowing any undermining of American democracy. She reiterated the significance of this matter, highlighting its importance.
According to Mayes, her office is currently conducting an ongoing investigation into the alleged scheme aimed at undermining the state’s election results.
In Arizona’s 2020 presidential race, the margin between Biden and Trump was incredibly narrow, with Biden emerging as the victor by a slim margin of just over 10,000 votes.
In Arizona, along with six other battleground states, a group of “alternate electors” gathered and baselessly declared themselves as the “duly elected” electors. Their intention was to persuade then-Vice President Mike Pence to acknowledge these electors who supported Trump, instead of recognizing the legitimate electoral votes that were cast for Biden.
Arizona has become the fourth state to press charges against the groups of pro-Trump electors, joining the ranks of Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia.
The indictment alleges that an individual, commonly referred to as “the Mayor,” disseminated unfounded allegations of election fraud in Arizona. This person exerted pressure on Arizona officials in an attempt to manipulate the outcome of the state’s election. Additionally, the indictment holds this individual accountable for encouraging pro-Trump electors to cast their votes in favor of the former president’s ticket.
In his testimony before the House Jan. 6 committee in 2022, former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R) pointed out Giuliani’s involvement. Bowers revealed that despite his persistent requests for evidence to support Giuliani’s claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, the former New York mayor, who had become a surrogate for Trump, failed to provide any substantial proof.
During his testimony, Bowers recalled Giuliani stating, “We have numerous theories, but unfortunately, we lack the evidence.”
According to the charging document, Meadows, who remains unnamed in the indictment, is accused of collaborating with members of Trump’s campaign to organize and execute the casting of alternate electors’ votes in the battleground states. The document further states that Meadows was actively involved in numerous attempts to maintain Trump’s hold on power, despite his loss in the polls.
According to the indictment, other Trump allies were reportedly involved in carrying out the scheme, which included pressuring Pence to accept the pro-Trump slate of electors.
The individuals indicted as ‘fake electors’ include former Arizona Republican Party Chair, Kelli Ward, along with her husband, Michael Ward. Also included are Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer of Turning Point Action, Nancy Cottle, who has held positions on the Maricopa County Republican Committee, Arizona State Senators Jacob Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former U.S. Senate candidate James Lamon, former Cochise County Republican Party Chair Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, a former Gila County Republican Party precinct committeeman, former Ahwatukee Republican Women president Lorraine Pellegrino, and Gregory Safsted, the former executive director of the state Republican party.
Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s political adviser, expressed his disappointment with the actions of certain leaders who are determined to dismantle the entire justice system in order to eliminate President Donald Trump and anyone who challenges their authority. According to Goodman, these leaders are motivated by their desire to maintain control over the ruling regime.
In a statement, Hoffman declared his innocence, expressing his firm belief that he has not committed any crime. He emphasized his determination to vigorously defend himself and eagerly anticipates the day when he will be cleared of these unfounded allegations, viewing them as nothing more than a politically motivated attack on his character.
According to Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, the indictment is viewed as another instance of the Democrats using the legal system as a weapon. Cheung further defended Bobb, emphasizing his exceptional service to the nation and the President.
Cheung criticized the Democrat platform for 2024, stating, “If you can’t beat them, try to throw them in jail.”
The information provided has been updated at 10:25 p.m. EST.
