PHOENIX — In a significant development in the ongoing legal battles surrounding the 2020 U.S. presidential election, seven attorneys and aides affiliated with former President Donald Trump’s campaign, along with 11 Arizona Republicans, have been indicted by an Arizona grand jury on felony charges related to alleged efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the state.
Among those charged are notable Trump allies such as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, and Christina Bobb, campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn, and former campaign aide Mike Roman. These individuals are accused of attempting to award Arizona’s electoral votes to Trump rather than Biden, despite Biden winning the state by 10,457 votes.
The indictment, announced by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D), culminates a year-long investigation into the alleged schemes involving alternate slates of electors and efforts to change the state’s election results. Arizona is the fourth state to bring charges against those involved in forming alternate slates of presidential electors.
The case includes charges against Republican officials who falsely claimed Trump had won the election, such as former state party chair Kelli Ward, state Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, and Tyler Bowyer, a GOP national committeeman and chief operating officer of Turning Point Action.
The indictment highlights various strategies allegedly employed by Trump and his allies to pressure state and local officials to alter the election outcome, including targeting members of the Phoenix-area Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the state legislature. When these efforts failed, they allegedly sought to influence then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), who certified the election results in favor of Biden.
The legal battle over the 2020 election continues as Trump once again campaigns for president in 2024. The indictments against his allies have been characterized by some as politically motivated, while others view them as necessary steps to uphold the integrity of U.S. elections.
Several of those charged, including Meadows, Giuliani, Ellis, and Eastman, had already faced indictments in Georgia for similar charges of conspiring to overturn election results. This indictment marks the first time Epshteyn and Bobb have been charged for their alleged actions post-2020 election.
As these cases proceed through the legal system, officials in Arizona and other battleground states are preparing for another contentious election cycle.
Source: The Washington Post
