In Arizona, eighteen people were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly participating in a scheme to falsely certify Donald Trump’s victory in the 2020 presidential election in the state. The attempt was to reverse Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden, the actual winner in Arizona.
The American electoral system dictates that the party with the most votes in a state’s presidential election takes all of its local delegates to vote in the Electoral College. Following a meeting in December 2020, where 11 Trump supporters signed a certificate stating that Arizona’s 11 delegates were eligible to vote in the Electoral College, despite Biden’s win, the state Republican Party headquarters shared the signed certificate via social media and sent it to Congress and National Archives.
Kelli Ward, Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman, Michael Ward, Tyler Bowyer, Greg Safsten, Jim Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead and Nancy Cottle are among those charged with this crime. The complaint reportedly refers to Trump as “unindicted co-conspirator 1.” Seven other individuals were also charged but their names have not been disclosed. Among those indicted whose identities were not revealed is Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
The legal proceedings shed light on ongoing concerns about the 2020 presidential election and its implications.