Arizona Attorney General Indicts 11 in Alleged Fake Elector Scheme to Overturn 2020 Election Results

In a significant legal development, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced the indictment of 11 individuals who falsely claimed to be electors for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The charges include nine felony counts of fraud, forgery, and conspiracy. This movement aimed to overturn Arizona's certified election results, which showed a victory for Joe Biden.

The indictment sheds light on an organized "alternative" slate of electors and their attempts to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence on January 6, 2021. Among those implicated in the scheme are Trump associates Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Jenna Ellis, Christina Bobb, and Mike Roman, who were actively involved in exchanging messages and filing lawsuits to support the false electors.

While Donald Trump, referred to as "unindicted co-conspirator 1," has not been charged, the fake electors in Arizona signed documents asserting they were the "duly elected and qualified electors" for Trump, despite official results stating otherwise. Arizona State Senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern are among the charged individuals.

Kenneth Chesebro, identified as the scheme's architect, suggested changes to the certificates to minimize legal exposure and coordinated with Trump campaign officials. The indictment also details a pressure campaign on Arizona officials, including harassment aimed at former House Speaker Rusty Bowers and county supervisor Clint Hickman for not supporting efforts to overturn the election results.

Kelli Ward, who played a role in organizing the Trump electors, expressed concerns about appearing treasonous, while a memo by John Eastman envisioned Vice President Pence rejecting Biden electors from states with fake slates. The false electors drew attention by publicizing their signing of the certificates on social media and joined a lawsuit against Vice President Pence to give him the authority to decide which electoral votes to count.

Those charged, including Trump’s former director of Election Day operations Mike Roman, face nine felony counts. Attorneys John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis are accused of using fake documents to influence Congress. The 11 Republicans charged submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona, including a former state GOP chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, and two sitting state lawmakers.

Representatives of Eastman, Meadows, and Giuliani have criticized the prosecution as politically motivated. Arizona is the fourth state where Trump's allies have faced charges over false voter fraud claims. The initial court hearing for the charged individuals is set for May 21.

President Joe Biden won Arizona by over 10,000 votes, and the fraudulent elector certificate from the state was sent to Congress and the National Archives but was disregarded. Amid these charges, Trump is attempting a return to the White House. At least five states won by Biden are investigating fraudulent elector slates to support Trump, with Trump facing state charges in Georgia and federal charges in Washington for attempting to reverse his election loss.

The indictment alleges that Trump allies added language to the documents signed by fake electors to present them as a backup plan, pending favorable court rulings for Trump. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is under scrutiny by the Republican-led legislature for her investigation into the fake elector scheme. The indictment concludes that the defendants deceived the public with false claims of election fraud to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency and to deprive Arizona voters of their rights. The signing ceremony of the false elector certificate was notably recorded and shared on social media by the Arizona Republican Party.

Conservative Bias:

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is yet another witch hunt, a sham, and a travesty orchestrated by the radical left to persecute patriots who were fighting to save our nation from a stolen election. These so-called "indictments" in Arizona are nothing but a desperate attempt by the Democrats to distract from their own corruption and the disaster of the Biden administration. These 11 individuals, these warriors for truth, are being targeted for standing up against the greatest electoral heist in American history. The real crime is the way these leftist bureaucrats are trying to criminalize legitimate concerns about election integrity. They're t****ling on the Constitution and the will of the people, all to protect their puppet in the White House and to silence anyone who dares question their narrative. It's a disgrace, an attack on our democracy, and we must not stand for it!

Liberal Bias:

In a stunning act of accountability, the rule of law is finally catching up with the corrupt cronies of the former president, as Arizona's Attorney General indicts 11 of these conspirators in their brazen attempt to subvert democracy. These charges are a clear signal that the dangerous, anti-democratic machinations of the Trump cabal will not go unpunished. This was an insidious plot to overthrow a free and fair election, an election that Trump lost by a clear margin. These individuals, deluded by the Big Lie, had the audacity to forge documents and concoct an alternative reality where they could just usurp the will of the people. Thankfully, their clumsy coup failed, and now justice is being served. This is a victory for truth, for democracy, and for every American who believes in the sanctity of our electoral system. The wheels of justice are turning, and they're rolling right over the traitorous actions of these fake electors and their puppet master in Mar-a-Lago.