Arizona Drops Fake Elector Case, Plans New Indictment
14 reported
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is dismissing a criminal case that alleged former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and others tried to overturn President Donald Trump’s 2020 loss in the state. The decision, announced Thursday, marks the third such fake elector case filed by states to be dismissed, though Mayes is vowing to bring it back to a grand jury in hopes of securing another indictment. The legal maneuver aims to get around a Friday deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier this month. The appeal was filed after defense attorneys argued successfully that the original grand jury had not been shown relevant parts of a law governing how presidential contests are certified. Courts have dismissed similar cases in Michigan and Georgia, and a special prosecutor dropped a federal case in late 2024 that charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. Cases related to the fake elector plan remain in Nevada and Wisconsin.
What’s reported
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is dismissing a criminal case alleging Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and others tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in Arizona.
The decision was announced Thursday.
This is the third such fake elector case filed by states to be dismissed.
Mayes is vowing to bring the case back to a grand jury for a new indictment.
The move is to get around a Friday deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier this month.
The appeal was lost after defense attorneys argued the original grand jury was not shown relevant parts of the law on presidential contest certification.
Similar cases have been dismissed in Michigan and Georgia; a federal case was dropped in late 2024.
Cases remain in Nevada and Wisconsin.
The Arizona case had been stalled for over a year while Mayes pursued the appeal.
Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by 10,457 votes.
The case involved 18 defendants: two former Trump aides, five lawyers working for Trump, and 11 Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won Arizona.
Three defendants have resolved their cases, including one who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.
The rest pleaded not guilty; some said they signed the certificate in case Trump won court challenges.
The case has factored into Arizona’s attorney general race, with both Republican challengers saying they will dismiss charges if elected.
Key figures
Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General
Mark Meadows, former Trump chief of staff
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City Mayor
President Donald Trump
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris
Sources: abcnews.com
