Arizona authorities charge ex-Trump adviser, attorneys over fake elector case

“Arizona authorities have revealed charges against a former adviser of ex-President Donald Trump and four lawyers in relation to the state’s fake elector case, but names including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani were still redacted. The Arizona attorney general’s office released an indictment on Friday outlining conspiracy, fraud, and forgery charges against Mike Roman, who was Trump’s director of Election Day operations, as well as attorneys John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis. The lawyers were accused of organising an attempt to use false documents in order to convince Congress not to certify Joe Biden’s victory. Previously, the office had announced on Wednesday that charges relating to conspiracy, fraud, and forgery would be brought against 11 Arizona Republicans who submitted a document falsely claiming Trump won the state’s election. Among those charged were former chair of the Arizona Republican Party Kelli Ward, Senate candidate Blake Masters, as well as two sitting lawmakers. The identities of seven other defendants including Giuliani and Meadows had not been released on Wednesday because they hadn’t yet been served with their indictments – this meant that their names could still be identified based upon descriptions provided in the document but it was unclear what charges, if any, were being brought against them. Trump himself wasn’t charged, although he is referred to as an ‘unindicted co-conspirator’. The Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes announced these indictments alongside those of other allies of former President Donald Trump who have been accused in relation to false or unproven claims about voter fraud during the election. This makes Arizona the fourth state where such charges are being brought.”