Prosecutors lose appeal in Arizona’s fake elector case and vow to present it again to a grand jury
PHOENIX (AP) — One of three remaining criminal cases stemming from efforts by President Donald Trump’s supporters to overturn the 2020 election results appears likely to return to a grand jury in Arizona.
The case began in April 2024, when an indictment sought by Arizona’s Democratic attorney general charged 18 Republicans with forgery, fraud and conspiracy and accused them of trying to undo former President Joe Biden’s victory in the state by 10,457 votes.
In a decision released Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court denied Attorney General Kris Mayes’ request to avoid sending the case back to a grand jury. Mayes hoped to continue working his way through the courts without having to start over at the grand jury level.
The appeal sent the case to the state’s highest court after defense attorneys successfully argued that the original grand jury had not been shown relevant sections of the law governing how presidential contests are certified.
The latest ruling marked another defeat for Mayes, whose case has been stalled for more than a year. The Attorney General’s Office said that instead of ending the prosecution, it would resubmit the case in its entirety to the grand jury. He declined to comment further on the decision.
The decision came after similar cases Michigan And Georgia Dismissed by courts and special prosecutor fell A federal lawsuit filed in late 2024 accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. All three cases ended with Trump defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Lawsuits related to the fraudulent election scheme continue in Arizona. Nevada And Wisconsin.
In Arizona, defense attorneys argued that the law allows multiple lists of electors to be submitted to Congress if the results are disputed. Federal law was amended in 2022 to state that any state may submit only one list of electors and that state governors are responsible for signing that list.
Mark L. Williams, the attorney representing Giuliani, applauded the state Supreme Court’s latest ruling and questioned whether Mayes’ office would follow through on its promise to send the case back to a grand jury. “To me, everything is meaningless,” Williams said. “Mr. Giuliani did nothing wrong.”
The state attorney general faced major difficulties in presenting his case.
The case, filed nearly three and a half years after the 2020 elections, includes complex conspiracy charges against 18 defendants. A dozen motions for dismissal filed by defense attorneys have slowed progress in court.
First judge of the case he pulled back In late 2024, after an email emerged in which he told his fellow justices to speak out against attacks on Harris’ presidential campaign. The next judge decided to send the case back to the grand jury.
Of the 18 defendants in Arizona, two were former Trump aides, five were lawyers who worked for Trump, and 11 were Republicans who filed a document falsely claiming that Trump had won Arizona.
The three defendants settled their cases; one of them pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
The rest pleaded not guilty. Some said they would sign the certification if Trump wins the court cases and that a new slate of electors is urgently needed before Congress’ Jan. 6 deadline for counting votes.
