On Wednesday in Arizona, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mark Meadows and a number of others who advised Donald J. Trump during the 2020 election spoke on Trump's behalf in an effort to retain him. He was indicted in Arizona along with all the fake electors who did so. He came to power despite being defeated in the state.
Boris Epshteyn, one of Trump's top legal strategists, is among those indicted in a criminal trial that began this week in Manhattan over hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. This complicated the situation for Trump's defense.
The indictment includes charges of conspiracy, fraud, and forgery related to the defendants' alleged attempts to change the results of the 2020 election. Arizona is the fourth battleground state in 2020 to file an election lawsuit related to Trump campaign activities, but it is the second state after Georgia to surpass Trump's loss of fake electors placed in battleground states by the Trump campaign. It's the second one.
The former president, who is seeking re-election, was also named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Arizona case.
“We understand that today's investigation was not quick enough for some, and for others it is clear that we even conducted this investigation at all,” Arizona's Democratic Attorney General Chris Mays said in a recorded statement. I am aware that I will be criticized.” “But as I've said before, and I'll say it again here today, I will not allow American democracy to be undermined. It is too important.”
Giuliani is Trump's former personal lawyer. Meadows was the White House chief of staff at the time of the 2020 election. They were among a number of defendants whose names were redacted from the indictment, but it was clear who they were from the context and description. For example, references to former New York Mayor Giuliani specifically state that he was known as “The Mayor.”
Part of the indictment does not mention Trump by name, but instead refers to “defendants' attempts to declare Unindicted Co-conspirator 1 and Pence the winners of the 2020 presidential election.” Ta.
Also, 2020 Trump campaign operative Mike Roman, fake elector scheme architect John Eastman, and Jenna Ellis, two other attorneys who advised Trump and the 2020 campaign. and Christina Bobb were also indicted.
The indictment reveals a series of alleged efforts by the defendants to overturn Arizona's election results. They are accused of encouraging changes in the election results by pressuring “officials responsible for certifying the election results,” including the governor, the Legislature, and the Maricopa Board of Supervisors.
A total of 35 people who acted as fake electors in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and now Arizona in 2020 are facing criminal charges for signing false certifications saying Trump won the states' electors. He is being sued.
Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Roman and Mr. Eastman are currently indicted in two states: Georgia and Arizona. Ellis has already pleaded guilty to a Georgia felony.
Those indicted in Arizona include former state party chairwoman Kelly Ward and then-state party executive director Greg Safsten, who served as Arizona Republican Party officials during the 2020 election. Some people did. Two state senators, Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman, are also currently indicted.
Some of those who claimed to be Trump's electors in states he lost in 2020 were adamant that they were acting legally.After Dr. Ward and other fake electors gathered in Phoenix in December of that year, she wrote in a social media post. “We are the electors who represent the legal voters of Arizona!” Late last year, Khan said, “There is no such thing as a fake elector.”
Late Wednesday, Mr. Eastman's attorney Charles Burnham said: Professor Eastman is innocent of any criminal activity in Arizona or elsewhere and intends to fight these charges as all other unjustified charges have been leveled against him. ”
Giuliani's press secretary, Ted Goodman, said: “The continued weaponization of our justice system should be of concern to all Americans because it causes permanent and irreparable harm to our country. There is,” he said.
In a social media post, Hoffman said he was “not guilty of any crime” and added: “I will defend myself vigorously and hope that this heinous political persecution will be vindicated.” I'm looking forward to it,” he added.
Mr. Epshteyn was a constant presence at Mr. Trump's civil trial in January for defaming New York author E. Jean Carroll. He joined Trump on the defense table when Trump's lawyers in the case went to court to provide support.
However, Mr. Epshtein has not visited New York for this criminal case. He has described himself as Trump's “in-house lawyer” and has acted as the quarterback for the various defense teams defending the former president in four criminal cases. He typically speaks with Trump several times a day.
Mr. Epshtein has been arrested twice in Arizona in the past 10 years, the first time in 2014 after pleading guilty to assault charges after a bar fight and his conviction vacated, and the second time in 2021. He was arrested again on suspicion of inappropriate touching. she is a woman In this case, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and received probation and a fine, but his conviction was again vacated.
Epshtein did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Election deniers have not performed well in Arizona polls, but they maintain control over the state's Republican Party. The party appointed far-right Trump supporter Gina Swoboda as its new leader in January. Swoboda runs a nonprofit that falsely claims to have found major discrepancies in voting records in numerous states. Kari Lake, an ardent supporter of Trump and his false election claims, is the party's 2022 gubernatorial candidate (unsuccessfully) and a leading Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat this year.
In a statement, the Arizona Republican Party called the charges a “blatant and unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial power whose sole purpose is to distract the public from the 2024 election.”
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal challenging the state's electronic voting machines. The lawsuit was filed by Lake and Mark Finchem, who lost the 2022 race for Arizona secretary of state.
Creating a list of people who claim to be Trump's electors was an integral part of the effort to keep Trump in office after he lost in the 2020 polls. . Trump and his allies tried to block or delay the congressional certification of Joseph R. Bush. Biden Jr.'s victory prompted Trump's allies in the House and Senate to consider challenges to the validity of the results in a number of battleground states, including Arizona and Michigan, and to swipe pro-Trump electors from those states. I hope you will accept it. states that it is valid.
In addition to the state case, Trump faces election interference charges in the Georgia case and in a federal case brought by Justice Department-appointed special counsel Jack Smith.
Trump has long had a strategy of falsely claiming election fraud. After losing the 2016 Iowa caucuses, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the winner of the same caucus, said it was “illegally stolen.” And after Trump received fewer votes nationwide in 2016 than Hillary Clinton said, Trump actually won the popular vote “if you subtract the millions of people who voted illegally.” He said he did.
Some of Trump's allies and advisers are recanting his 2020 claims as he faces criminal charges in state election investigations.
Kenneth Chesebro, the architect of the election fraud scheme, told Michigan investigators last year that “Biden won and the process was followed.” Chesebro emerged as a key witness for state prosecutors.
James Renner, a former Michigan state trooper who replaced Michigan's fake elector at the last minute, told investigators last year that he regretted being forced into a situation he “never should have been involved in.” . ” The charges against him were dropped as part of a cooperative agreement with the office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat.
Richard Fausset, Alan Feuer, Jonathan Swan and Benjamin Protes contributed reporting.