Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows have been hit with felony charges in Arizona over their alleged involvement in a ‘Fake Elector’ scheme. An Arizona grand jury has issued charges against Giuliani, Meadows, and several other notable Trump allies, accusing them of attempting to obstruct the lawful transfer of power from then-President Trump to Joe Biden.
The charges stem from actions taken by seven Trump aides and 11 pro-Trump Arizona Republicans who purported to be the state’s legitimate electors in the 2020 election. While Trump himself has not been charged, he is named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants devised a scheme to propagate false claims of election fraud, putting pressure on Arizona election officials to overturn Biden’s narrow victory in the state. The indictment outlines various tactics employed, including filing lawsuits, communicating with officials, and signing fake elector documents in December 2020.
“In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020,” the indictment reads.
“Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona’s voters,” it states, referring to Trump. “This scheme would have deprived Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted.”
Each of the 11 pro-Trump electors faces nine charges, including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery counts. The indictment asserts that the people of Arizona elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020, and condemns the defendants’ efforts to prevent the lawful transfer of power.
While only the 11 alternate electors are named in the indictment, descriptions within the charging documents suggest the involvement of Giuliani, Meadows, Boris Epshteyn, and John Eastman. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has stated that the names of the other defendants will be made public after they have been served with charges.
The 2020 presidential race in Arizona was closely contested, with Biden winning by just over 10,000 votes. The indictment underscores the seriousness of the charges and the broader implications for democracy. Similar attempts to subvert the election have been uncovered in other battleground states.
