Former President Donald Trump’s name was conspicuously absent from a list of people indicted in Arizona for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of the November 2020 election. Eighteen individuals were indicted on these charges by the Arizona Grand Jury, including former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Details of the Charges
Eleven individuals connected with the Republican party were charged with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery for claiming erroneously that Trump won the 2020 election in Arizona. Many of these individuals were embedded deeply within the party hierarchy in Arizona, including party chairs and current elected officials.
Unnamed Defendants
The specific charges applicable to Meadows and Giuliani are not yet publicly known as the documents had not yet been served. While not named formally, their involvement was identified through descriptions of the individuals from legal documents.
Trump as Unindicted Co-Conspirator
Trump himself was not indicted in the charges in Arizona, though his personage looms large in the proceedings. He is considered a conspirator, which means that he was involved in the efforts without being charged with any individual crimes.
National Context of Charges
Four years after the election in question, and in broad sight hogging media space on the entire run-up to the historic 2024 election, the aftermath of the 2022 election and alleged attempts to overturn the outcome are having their day in court and playing out before the eyes of the American electorate. The timing of multiple waves of legal action has sent ripples across the nation from Arizona to Wisconsin to Georgia.
Statement from Authorities
Arizona is the fourth state to press charges on Trump allies for actions in the wake of the 2020 election. Current Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes declared the state’s commitment to ensuring secure elections and prosecuting individuals who attempt to disrupt the sacred electoral process.
Additional Background on Defendants
The Arizona Grand Jury indictment identifies Giuliani and others as individuals responsible for disseminating erroneous information after the election. In addition to Giuliani, other implicated individuals were legal advisors and campaign personnel. The broad swath of individuals connected to the indictment points toward the in-depth and well-connected effort to sway the narrative and outcome of the election, even in the face of electoral defeat.
Legal Representatives Respond
Meadows and Giuliani, represented by attorneys, have echoed the cries of former President Donald Trump, calling the legal charges a witchhunt and politically motivated punishment. Focusing defense on this vein of reasoning advances more of the persecution complex and is difficult to parse, as the claim that prosecution is politically motivated appeals to sympathizers and is difficult to disprove.
Electoral Fraud Certificate
At the center of the indictment was a certificate fabricated by the indicted individuals that declared that they were legitimate electors and that they designated Trump as the election winner in Arizona. The document created by these individuals and signed by them was not legally binding but was submitted formally to the U.S. Congress and National Archives as legitimate.
Judicial Rejections
The indicted individuals then filed lawsuits in Arizona to decertify Biden’s victory. The lawsuits were thrown out by courts due to lack of standing and insufficient evidence.
Other States’ Actions
The fake elector scheme has similarities with other attempts to discredit Biden’s victory in Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia. With the legal challenges ongoing, it is unlikely a similar attempt will take place following the 2024 election, regardless of the outcome.
Trump’s Federal Indictment
While Trump is not indicted by the Arizona Grand Jury, he faces charges at the federal level. His charges related to his post-electoral defeat and his actions regarding the January 6, 2021, events at the Capitol.
Legal Outlook in Other States
Several swing states are still grappling with how to address the period of unrest after the 2020 election. In addition to the indictments in four states, other states, such as Wisconsin and New Mexico, have settled civil charges only. Different states have handled the legal issues through different avenues, and party affiliation may play a large role in the prosecution, leading some to endorse Trump’s claim that the charges are politically motivated.
Accusations Against Arizona’s Attorney General
Such is the case potentially in Arizona, where Arizona Democrat Katie Hobbs beat Republican candidate Kari Lake for Governor by only 17,000 votes. Indicted Republican state Senator Jake Hoffman has claimed that the prosecution is politically motivated. Had the governorship gone the other way to Republican Kari Lake, the legal implications could have potentially been vastly different for the indicted individuals. This. This is a primary example as to why the charges of political persecution are nearly impossible to disprove or shake and serve only to inflame Trump and ally sympathy among supporters.
