Arizona prosecutors are intensifying their investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s top allies, examining their alleged roles in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Newly revealed court filings detail the acquisition of emails, texts, and phone records from prominent Trump associates, including Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and Boris Epshteyn, through search warrants targeting their Google and Apple iCloud accounts.
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The documents, covering the period from November 1, 2020, to February 1, 2021, were obtained as part of the probe into a purported “fake elector scheme” linked to Trump’s inner circle. However, the court currently prevents prosecutors from reviewing the materials, allowing defendants to screen and exclude irrelevant data.
Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, has filed a motion requesting the court to discard the collected data entirely, arguing that the search warrant was excessively broad and lacked sufficient evidence connecting him to the alleged conspiracy. Notably, Meadows does not claim ownership of the devices or accounts in question.
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In April, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes indicted Meadows and others, alleging their involvement in efforts to subvert Arizona’s election results through a fake elector scheme. Mayes also released a video on X (formerly Twitter) accusing the group of undermining the will of Arizona voters during the 2020 election.
The investigation extends beyond Arizona. Similar prosecutions have occurred in Wisconsin, Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia, targeting Trump allies for their roles in alleged fake elector schemes. Michigan has charged 16 Republicans, while Nevada has charged six for their involvement in these efforts.
Meadows is among a group of seven lawyers and aides reportedly tied to the scheme, including Giuliani, Epshteyn, Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Mike Roman, and Christina Bobb. While Trump has not been directly named in the Arizona indictment, Mayes labeled him as a co-conspirator.
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Legal representatives for the accused have strongly denied the charges. George Terwilliger, Meadows’ attorney, criticized the indictment as politically motivated and vowed to fight the claims. Charles Burnham, Eastman’s lawyer, maintained his client’s innocence, while Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesperson, condemned the prosecution as a misuse of the justice system.
Prosecutors have gathered a substantial amount of data from technology companies in response to 10 search warrants issued earlier this year. The warrants yielded emails, text messages, call logs, contact lists, and geolocation data for the 18 defendants involved in the case.
Meadows has challenged the scope of the warrants, arguing they resulted in the seizure of excessive personal information.
Prosecutors countered by emphasizing that the warrants were narrowly focused on the three-month period relevant to the alleged crimes and were carefully designed to capture potential evidence.
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