An Arizona grand jury has issued indictments against several allies of former President Donald Trump, including fake electors from the state and individuals linked to his campaign, over their attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Among those indicted are Boris Epshteyn, a former White House aide and close Trump adviser; Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff; and Rudy Giuliani, according to a source familiar with the investigation. The announcement was made by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, on Wednesday night.
Mayes’ statement focused on the 11 individuals who acted as pro-Trump electors in the state. The names of several other indicted defendants remain undisclosed until they have been served.
“A state grand jury, composed of everyday Arizonans, has now issued felony indictments for all 11 Republican electors and several others connected to this scheme,” Mayes stated. “These are serious indictments, marking the first hurdle the state must overcome in our constitutional criminal justice system. We intend to prove these crimes were committed beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Although Trump is not among those charged in Arizona, the indictment suggests he is “Unindicted Coconspirator 1.” CNN is reaching out to those charged for comment.
Trump Allies Accused of Deceiving Arizona Citizens Post-2020 Election
The indictment includes nine counts, ranging from conspiracy and forgery to engaging in fraudulent schemes. The specific charges faced by Trump allies such as Meadows, Epshteyn, and Giuliani remain unclear due to the partial redaction of the indictment.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona’s voters. The scheme involved the fake electors fraudulently voting for Trump, falsely claiming to be the duly elected and qualified Electors for President and Vice President of the United States from the State of Arizona.
“Defendants deceived the citizens of Arizona by falsely claiming that those votes were contingent only on a legal challenge that would change the outcome of the election,” the indictment reads. “In reality, Defendants intended that their false votes for Trump-Pence would encourage Pence to reject the Biden-Harris votes on January 6, 2021, regardless of the outcome of the legal challenge.”
This scheme failed on January 6, 2021, when then-Vice President Mike Pence accepted the electoral votes for Joe Biden, the indictment says.
Additional Indictments
While the names of several defendants in the Arizona case remain redacted because they have not yet been served, the indictment does describe their roles in the alleged plot. Other individuals charged in the Arizona indictment but whose names have been redacted, the source familiar with the investigation told CNN, include Trump allies Mike Roman, a 2020 campaign official; Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis; and conservative attorney John Eastman.
The case adds scrutiny to actions taken on Trump’s behalf after the last election. It also comes as Trump’s legal team will argue before the Supreme Court Thursday that he’s immune from prosecution in the federal election interference case – at the same time Trump is on trial in New York related to hush money paid to cover up an alleged affair before the 2016 election.
Latest Prosecution of Fake Electors Schemes
The Arizona case is the latest state-level prosecution aimed at schemes to upend Biden’s electoral victory. Prosecutors in Michigan, Georgia and Nevada also have brought criminal charges against some of the people who signed on as fake electors in those states. Investigators in Wisconsin are conducting a similar probe.
“We conducted a thorough and professional investigation over the past 13 months into the fake electoral scheme in our state,” Mayes said Wednesday. “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 as I’ve stated before, and will say here again today, I will not allow American democracy to be undermined.”
The fake elector scheme and pressure campaign on Pence are focal points of special counsel Jack Smith’s federal indictment of Trump.
This story and headline have been updated with additional reporting. CNN’s Rashard Rose contributed to this report.