- Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows are among those charged in an election interference case in Arizona.
- Several Trump allies and Arizona GOPers have been charged with crimes, including conspiracy.
- The indictment also appears to name former President Donald Trump as “unindicted co-conspirator #1.”
Prosecutors charged Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and a slate of Arizona Republicans with multiple crimes in a 58-page indictment unsealed Wednesday. The charges are linked to what prosecutors say were efforts to overturn the 2020 election in favor of Donald Trump, who was also considered an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.
The indictment, obtained by The Washington Post, was handed up Wednesday by a grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona. Prosecutors charged the defendants with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery.
In the indictment, prosecutors accused the defendants of trying to keep Trump as president “against the wishes of Arizona voters.”
Eleven Arizona GOP “fake voters” named as defendants; they were each indicted on nine counts.
The names of the other defendants have been redacted. The Post reported that they included former Trump lawyers Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb; Mike Roman, former Trump campaign aide; and Trump campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn. The names of Giuliani and Meadows were also redacted from the indictment. The Post said descriptions of the individuals’ actions made their identities obvious and the names were redacted until the indictment could be served on the individuals.
Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s political adviser, said in a statement to Business Insider when contacted about the indictment: “The continued militarization of our justice system should be of concern to all Americans because it causes harm permanent and irrevocable in the country.”
Meadows, Ellis, Eastman, Bobb, Roman and Epshteyn, or their representatives, did not respond to BI’s requests for comment. Arizona Republicans did not respond to requests for comment or could not be reached.
George Terwilliger, an attorney for Meadows, told the Post he had not seen the indictment, but said, “If Mr. Meadows is named in this indictment, it is ‘an overtly political and politicized accusation that will be challenged and rejected. »
The indictment also refers to “unindicted co-conspirator 1,” described as “a former president of the United States who spread false claims of election fraud after the 2020 election.” Four other people, who are not being named, are considered unindicted co-conspirators.
A representative for Trump and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
Arizona was one of several states, including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, in which so-called fake voters attempted to vote. are voting for Trump despite Joe Biden winning the election in their state.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
The indictment comes as Trump runs for president again while facing several criminal cases, including two cases related to efforts to overturn the election — one in Georgia and one federally — and one related to documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Trump is currently on trial in New York for a case related to a secret payment.
He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty in all four cases.
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