An Arizona grand jury has delivered a sweeping indictment against 18 allies of former President Donald Trump for their alleged roles in alleged election interference in the 2020 presidential election in the state. The 58-page indictment names Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorney Rudy Giuliani, and 16 others as defendants facing charges including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery.
Of the 18 defendants, 11 are Republicans who signed and submitted a document to Congress declaring themselves the rightful presidential electors from Arizona. This group includes the former Arizona Republican Party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, and two current state lawmakers.
While Trump himself was not indicted, the court filings refer to him as an “unindicted co-conspirator” for his alleged role in the wider scheme to retain power after the 2020 Presidential election.
The identities of seven defendants beyond the 11 named Republicans were initially redacted, as they had not yet been served with the indictment. However, descriptors like “Trump’s chief of staff in 2020” and an “attorney who was often identified as the Mayor” make it clear Meadows and Giuliani are among those charged.
Other unnamed defendants are similarly identifiable as Trump campaign operatives and attorneys like Mike Roman, John Eastman, and Christina Bobb based on their alleged involvement detailed in the indictment.
The charges stem from a December 2020 meeting where the 11 named Republicans signed a certificate claiming they were Arizona’s “duly elected and qualified” presidential electors entitled to cast the state’s electoral votes for Trump. This document was sent to Congress and the National Archives but rejected.
In announcing the indictment, Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes stated: “I will not allow American democracy to be undermined. It’s too important.”
Lawyers for some defendants like Meadows denounced the case as “blatantly political.” But prosecutors maintain they are upholding the integrity of free and fair elections.
The Arizona charges escalate the legal jeopardy for Trump and his allies already facing similar, though separate, indictments in federal court and Georgia over their multi-state effort to keep the then-President in power.
Similar cases have been brought by Democrat administrations in Nevada and Michigan.