Arizona grand jury indicts 18 in Trump fake elector plot

Jenna Ellis, Rudy Giuliani and Boris Epshteyn

Fake electors in Arizona tried to keep Trump in power, despite his loss in the state

(Image credit: Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

What happened

An Arizona grand jury on Wednesday indicted 18 people on felony charges related to a 2020 scheme to reverse former President Donald Trump's loss in the state, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) said. The indictment charges the 11 Arizona Republicans who signed certificates falsely claiming to be "duly elected and qualified" presidential electors plus seven close Trump allies, including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani. Trump is identified as "unindicted coconspirator 1."

Who said what

"The scheme, had it succeeded, would have deprived Arizona's voters of their right to have their votes counted for their chosen president," said Mayes, elected in 2022. "I understand for some of you today didn't come fast enough, and I know I'll be criticized by others for conducting this investigation at all," but "I will not allow American democracy to be undermined."

The commentary

Similar fake electors in Michigan, Georgia and Nevada "have already been charged for their role in the sweeping effort to keep Trump in power," the Arizona Republic said. Trump was also charged in Georgia and in a federal indictment, and Arizona's case "cries out for an explanation of how Trump's two key agents — Giuliani and Meadows" — were indicted but Trump wasn't, Ryan Goodman said at Just Security.

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What next?

As these cases "slowly make their way through the legal system, Trump is again running for president, and officials in Arizona and other battleground states are preparing for another likely contentious election," The Washington Post said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.