Arizona prosecution of fake electors: Difference between revisions
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'''''State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al.''''' is a state criminal prosecution concerning the [[Trump fake electors plot]] in [[Arizona]]. The eighteen defendants, including [[Kelli Ward]], [[Rudy Giuliani]], [[Mark Meadows]], and [[Boris Epshteyn]], are accused of producing and attempting to use a false [[certificate of ascertainment]] containing [[United States Electoral College|electoral votes]] for [[Donald Trump]], who had lost the [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|2020 U.S. presidential election in Arizona]].<ref name="nyt-h-24-az">{{cite news |last1=Hakim |first1=Danny |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |title=Arizona Charges Giuliani and Other Trump Allies in Election Interference Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/us/arizona-fake-electors-trump.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="ap-bkc-24">{{cite news |last1=Billeaud |first1=Jacques |last2=Kelety |first2=Josh |last3=Cooper |first3=Jonathan J. |title=Arizona indicts 18 in case over 2020 election in Arizona, including Giuliani and Meadows |url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-fake-electors-charges-2020-election-9da5a7e58814ed55ceea1ca55401af85 |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref> |
'''''State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al.''''' is a state criminal prosecution concerning the [[Trump fake electors plot]] in [[Arizona]]. The eighteen defendants, including [[Kelli Ward]], [[Rudy Giuliani]], [[Mark Meadows]], and [[Boris Epshteyn]], are accused of producing and attempting to use a false [[certificate of ascertainment]] containing [[United States Electoral College|electoral votes]] for [[Donald Trump]], who had lost the [[2020 United States presidential election in Arizona|2020 U.S. presidential election in Arizona]].<ref name="nyt-h-24-az">{{cite news |last1=Hakim |first1=Danny |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |title=Arizona Charges Giuliani and Other Trump Allies in Election Interference Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/us/arizona-fake-electors-trump.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="ap-bkc-24">{{cite news |last1=Billeaud |first1=Jacques |last2=Kelety |first2=Josh |last3=Cooper |first3=Jonathan J. |title=Arizona indicts 18 in case over 2020 election in Arizona, including Giuliani and Meadows |url=https://apnews.com/article/arizona-fake-electors-charges-2020-election-9da5a7e58814ed55ceea1ca55401af85 |work=[[Associated Press News]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref> |
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Eleven fake electors, including Kelli Ward and Arizona state senators [[Anthony Kern]] and [[Jake Hoffman (Arizona politician)|Jake Hoffman]] were [[indicted]] by a [[grand jury]].<ref name="az-rep-24">{{cite news |last1=Barchenger |first1=Stacey |title=Grand jury indicts fake electors who falsely certified Donald Trump as 2020 winner in Arizona |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/04/24/arizona-fake-electors-indictments/73184206007/ |work=Arizona Republic |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="wp-ws-24">{{cite news |last1=Wingett Sanchez |first1=Yvonne |title=Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/24/arizona-2020-election-charges-meadows-giuliani-ellis/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref> |
Eleven fake electors, including Kelli Ward and Arizona state senators [[Anthony Kern]] and [[Jake Hoffman (Arizona politician)|Jake Hoffman]], were [[indicted]] by a [[grand jury]].<ref name="az-rep-24">{{cite news |last1=Barchenger |first1=Stacey |title=Grand jury indicts fake electors who falsely certified Donald Trump as 2020 winner in Arizona |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/04/24/arizona-fake-electors-indictments/73184206007/ |work=Arizona Republic |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="wp-ws-24">{{cite news |last1=Wingett Sanchez |first1=Yvonne |title=Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/04/24/arizona-2020-election-charges-meadows-giuliani-ellis/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 24, 2024}}</ref> |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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Revision as of 12:16, 27 April 2024
| Arizona v. Ward | |
|---|---|
| Court | Arizona Superior Court in and for the County of Maricopa |
| Full case name | State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al. |
| Docket nos. | CR2024-006850 (93 SGJ 81)[1] |
| Charge | List of charges
|
State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al. is a state criminal prosecution concerning the Trump fake electors plot in Arizona. The eighteen defendants, including Kelli Ward, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and Boris Epshteyn, are accused of producing and attempting to use a false certificate of ascertainment containing electoral votes for Donald Trump, who had lost the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Arizona.[2][3]
Eleven fake electors, including Kelli Ward and Arizona state senators Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman, were indicted by a grand jury.[4][5]
Background
Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona, gaining all 11 electoral votes in the state.
In 2021, under Arizona attorney general Mark Brnovich (a Republican), Maricopa County ballots were audited to search for fraud by local election officials. No fraud was found.[6]
On January 2, 2023, Arizona's new attorney general, Kris Mayes (a Democrat), took office. She examined the fake elector scheme, initially focusing the investigation on actions in Phoenix. In October 2023, Kenneth Chesebro began cooperating with investigators in election interference cases after he pleaded guilty in the Georgia prosecution. Arizona investigators interviewed him in December, and he provided information that allowed Mayes to target Trump allies from out of state who participated in the Arizona scheme.[5]
In addition to the Georgia prosecution, Michigan and Nevada have also sought charges against fake electors, making Arizona the fourth state to do so.[5][7]
Defendants
Eleven fake electors were charged, as were seven Trump allies.[4]
Fake electors
- Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point USA[8][9] and Republican National Committee member
- Nancy Cottle, fake electors chair, VP of programs for the Arizona Federation of Republican Women[9]
- Jake Hoffman, Republican state senator, 15th district
- Anthony Kern, Republican state senator, 27th district
- Jim Lamon, unsuccessful United States Senate candidate in 2022, chair and founder of Depcom Power[10]
- Robert Montgomery, former Cochise County Republican Committee chair
- Samuel Moorhead, former Gila County Republican Party head
- Loraine Pellegrino, fake electors secretary, president of Ahwatukee Republican Women[9]
- Greg Safsten, former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party
- Kelli Ward, former Arizona Republican Party chair and former state senator
- Michael Ward, Republican activist, married to Kelli Ward
Trump aides
Unindicted coconspirators
The indictment describes five unindicted coconspirators but does not name them, although Trump is known to be among them.[3]
Charges
The defendants are charged with nine counts of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery (all felonies) from the approximate date range of the November 3, 2020 election through the electoral vote certification on January 6, 2021.[1]
- Count 1, class 2 felony of conspiracy: Conspiring with others "known and/or unknown"
- Count 2, class 2 felony of fraudulent schemes and artifices: Knowingly benefiting from any fraud designed for "preventing the lawful transfer of the presidency of the United States, keeping President Donald J. Trump in office against the will of Arizona voters, and depriving Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted"
- Count 3, class 5 felony of fraudulent schemes and practices: Concealing facts or making false statements related to both Trump/Pence certificates "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Arizona Secretary of State"
- Count 4, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging a Trump/Pence certificate "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the President of the United States Senate"
- Count 5, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging the first of two Trump/Pence certificates "filed by the Arizona 8 Republican electors with the Arizona Secretary of State"
- Count 6, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging the second of two Trump/Pence certificates "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Arizona Secretary of State"
- Count 7, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging the first of two Trump/Pence certificates "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Archivist of the United States"
- Count 8, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging the second of two Trump/Pence certificates "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Archivist of the United States"
- Count 9, class 4 felony of forgery: Forging a Trump/Pence certificate "filed by the Arizona Republican electors with the Chief Judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Arizona"
The indictment alleges that, from the day after the 2020 election, Trump allies began discussing a fake elector scheme to change the election results. This challenges a claim typically made by Republicans that the slate of pro-Trump electors was merely an "alternate" option in the event that the election results were challenged.[5]
The indictment also alleges that local Republicans in Arizona in November meanwhile tried to cast doubt on the validity of the election results, and that on November 30, 2020, Giuliani and Ellis came to Phoenix to speak to Rusty Bowers.[5]
See also
- 2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit
- Michigan prosecution of fake electors
- Georgia election racketeering prosecution
- Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election from Arizona
References
- ^ a b "Arizona v. Ward - Indictment" (PDF). Washington Post. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Hakim, Danny; Haberman, Maggie (April 24, 2024). "Arizona Charges Giuliani and Other Trump Allies in Election Interference Case". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Billeaud, Jacques; Kelety, Josh; Cooper, Jonathan J. (April 24, 2024). "Arizona indicts 18 in case over 2020 election in Arizona, including Giuliani and Meadows". Associated Press News.
- ^ a b Barchenger, Stacey (April 24, 2024). "Grand jury indicts fake electors who falsely certified Donald Trump as 2020 winner in Arizona". Arizona Republic.
- ^ a b c d e Wingett Sanchez, Yvonne (April 24, 2024). "Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe". The Washington Post.
- ^ Cooper, Jonathan; Christie, Bob (April 7, 2022). "Arizona AG letter offers no proof of 2020 election fraud". Associated Press. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Durkee, Alison (December 6, 2023). "'Fake' Pro-Trump Electors Indicted In Nevada". Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Tyler Bowyer". Turning Point USA. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Lerner, Kira (January 31, 2022). "Trump's fake electors: Here's the full list". Louisiana Illuminator.
- ^ Sanchez, Yvonne. "Jim Lamon is the first Republican to enter Arizona's 2022 Senate race". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 3, 2021.