Featured: Former New York Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani speaks on Dec. 15, 2023, outside the federal courthouse in Washington. Giuliani, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump, was one of those implicated in an Arizona election interference case indicted on April 24, 2024.
An Arizona grand jury on April 24, 2024, charged former President Donald Trump‘s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and 16 others for attempting to use fake electors to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
The indictment lists 11 Republicans who falsely claimed Trump won Arizona in 2020 and are charged with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. Giuliani, Meadows, and seven others’ identities were not disclosed initially as they hadn’t been served with the charges.
Trump, referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator, claims immunity for actions during his presidency. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on his effort to evade prosecution for trying to overturn the election result.
Arizona is the fourth state where Trump’s allies face charges related to fake voter fraud allegations. Trump persists in spreading falsehoods about the last election, supported by many of his followers.
Names of other defendants hint at involvement of Mike Roman, John Eastman, and Christina Bobb. Lawsuits by the 11 Republicans who declared Trump as Arizona’s winner challenged Biden’s victory but were dismissed.
Arizona GOP officials filed the lawsuit to de-certify Biden’s win, prompting Judge Humetewa to dismiss it for lack of legal standing and factual support. The Republicans then signed the certificate declaring Trump as the winner.
The charges in Arizona follow indictments against fake electors in other states.
The indicted Republicans include Kelli Ward, state Sen. Jake Hoffman, Tyler Bowyer, state Sen. Anthony Kern, Greg Safsten, James Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, Nancy Cottle, Loraine Pellegrino, and Michael Ward.
