An Arizona grand jury recently indicted 18 individuals as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged scheme to use alternate electors in an attempt to falsely declare then-President Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Among the indicted individuals were notable names such as Kelli Ward, Tyler Bowyer, and Jacob Hoffman, who are accused of being part of a wider conspiracy to manipulate the election results. Hoffman and Kern, who are Arizona state senators, have maintained their innocence in light of the charges brought against them.
The indictment outlines Trump as ‘Unindicted Coconspirator 1’ and references other individuals such as Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows who were allegedly involved in the scheme. The charges brought against the defendants include fraud, forgery, and conspiracy, with penalties ranging from class 2 to class 5 felonies. The alleged goal of the conspiracy was to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency by raising false claims of election fraud and organizing fake elector votes to keep Trump in office against the will of Arizona voters.
The Arizona indictments are part of a larger trend of legal consequences faced by Trump and his associates in relation to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In Fulton County, Georgia, Trump and 18 others are facing charges of racketeering, election fraud, and other offenses related to similar alleged activities surrounding alternate electors and election manipulation. Some of the defendants are also accused of soliciting legislators in other states, including Arizona, to appoint new electors in an effort to change the outcome of the election.
In August of last year, the former president was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged involvement in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. This indictment stemmed from an investigation into Trump’s actions post-election and included details of a strategy to use fake electors. Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in both the Arizona and Georgia cases, as well as in any allegations related to election manipulation. The legal proceedings highlight the ongoing political division and controversy surrounding the 2020 election and its aftermath.
