EFE
Eleven Republicans who filed a document with Congress falsely claiming that Donald Trump had defeated Joe Biden in Arizona during the 2020 presidential election were charged Wednesday with conspiracy, fraud and forgery, becoming the fourth state to file charges against “false agents.”
The 11 people who had been nominated to be Arizona Republican electors met in Phoenix on December 14, 2020 to sign a certificate stating that they were “qualified and duly elected” electors and assured that Trump had won the state. This document was later sent to Congress and the National Archives, where it was ignored.
Seven other people were formally charged, but their names were redacted in records released by the state's attorney general, Democrat Kris Mayes.
Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes. Of the eight lawsuits that unsuccessfully challenged his victory in the state, one of them was filed by the 11 Republicans who subsequently signed the certificate declaring Trump the winner. Days after that complaint was dismissed, the 11 participated in the signing of the certificate.
The charges in Arizona follow a series of indictments against bogus delegates in Nevada, Michigan and Georgia.
The lawsuit asked a judge to decertify the results that gave Biden his victory in Arizona and block the state from sending those results to the Electoral College. In dismissing the case, U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa said the Republicans lacked legal standing, waited too long to present their case and “failed to provide the court with factual support for their extraordinary claims.”
Days after that lawsuit was dismissed, the 11 Republicans participated in the signing of the minutes.
The Arizona charges come after a series of allegations against false voters in other states. In December, a Nevada grand jury indicted six Republicans on felony counts of offering a false instrument to present and issuing a forged instrument in connection with false election certificates. They have pleaded not guilty.
In July, Michigan's prosecutor filed felony charges including forgery and conspiracy to commit election forgery against 16 false Republican electors. One had charges dropped after reaching a cooperation agreement and the remaining 15 defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Three fake electors have also been charged in Georgia along with Trump and others in a sweeping indictment accusing them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally overturn the results of the presidential election. They have pleaded not guilty.
The Republicans facing charges are Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the state Republican Party from 2019 to early 2023; State Senator Jake Hoffman; Tyler Bowyer, executive of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA that is part of the Republican National Committee.
