An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and 16 others for their involvement in attempting to overturn Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 election, Associated Press reports.
The indictment names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020, despite Biden’s victory in the state by over 10,000 votes. Among them are prominent figures such as the former state party chair, a US Senate candidate, and two state lawmakers, each of them charged with nine counts of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. The identities of 7 other defendants were not immediately released, but Giuliani and Meadows were identified based on the descriptions of the defendants. The indictment alleges that Giuliani spread false allegations of election fraud, while Meadows, described as Trump’s “chief of staff in 2020,” was involved in the scheme. Trump himself was not charged but was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The charges mark Arizona as the fourth state where allies of the former president have faced legal action over false claims of voter fraud related to the 2020 election. The indictment underscores ongoing efforts by Trump and his supporters to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election results.
