A grand jury in Arizona has indicted Mark Meadows, the former chief of staff for Donald Trump, and attorney Rudy Giuliani in connection with an election meddling case, along with sixteen other defendants.
According to the indictment released by the Arizona grand jury, 11 Republicans submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Donald Trump had defeated Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election in Arizona.
This document, which claimed that the 11 individuals were “duly elected and qualified” electors for Trump, was later sent to Congress and the National Archives. However, it was ultimately ignored.
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The indictment also named seven other defendants, the identities of whom were not immediately released as they had not yet been served with the charges.
Based on the indictment’s descriptions, it was revealed that one of the unnamed defendants was an attorney who spread false allegations of election fraud and was often identified as the Mayor, clearly referring to Rudy Giuliani.
Another defendant was identified as Trump’s chief of staff in 2020, pointing to Mark Meadows.
The indictment in Arizona comes after similar cases of fake electors have emerged in other states.
In Nevada, a grand jury indicted six Republicans on felony charges related to false election certificates. Michigan’s Attorney General also filed felony charges against 16 Republican fake electors for forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery.
Additionally, three fake electors in Georgia, along with Trump and others, were charged in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the election results.
However, in Arizona, the fake elector allegations were not part of the investigation conducted by the previous Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
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Nonetheless, the current Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes expressed her determination to bring the case.
“I will not allow American democracy to be undermined,” Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a video released by her office. “It’s too important.”
In the dismissed lawsuit filed by the 11 Republicans in Arizona, they sought to de-certify the election results that favored Biden and block the state from sending electors to the Electoral College.
However, U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa ruled that the Republicans lacked legal standing and failed to provide factual support for their claims.
This dismissal paved the way for the 11 Republicans to participate in the certificate signing, which ultimately led to the charges they now face, according to the AG’s office.
In other states, the consequences for individuals involved in fake elector schemes have varied. In Nevada, the indicted Republicans have pleaded not guilty to charges of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Similarly, the 16 Republican fake electors in Michigan have pleaded not guilty to charges of forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery.
In Georgia, three fake electors have also pleaded not guilty to charges related to their participation in the scheme.
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