The Arizona grand jury investigating 18 Republican supporters of Donald Trump for falsely claiming he won the state in the 2020 election considered charging the former president as well. The court documents filed by the Arizona attorney general’s office reveal discussions between prosecutors and the grand jurors who heard extensive testimony over 18 days. During the deliberations, a prosecutor advised against indicting Trump, citing a U.S. Justice Department policy that prevents prosecuting an individual for the same offense twice. The prosecutor, unnamed in the records, also mentioned uncertainties regarding the availability of all necessary evidence to charge Trump at that point. Consequently, the grand jury proceeded to indict 18 individuals on charges of forgery, fraud, and conspiracy. Among those indicted were 11 Republicans who submitted a forged document claiming Trump’s victory in Arizona, five attorneys linked to the former president, and two ex-Trump aides.
Although Trump evaded charges in the Arizona case, the indictment labels him as an “unindicted coconspirator.” He faces federal charges brought by special counsel Jack Smith for allegedly participating in a scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Recently, attorney Jenna Ellis struck a deal with Arizona prosecutors to have charges against her dismissed in exchange for cooperation. Ellis had previously pleaded guilty in Georgia to a felony charge related to efforts to challenge Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in that state. Additionally, Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino, one of the signatories of the fraudulent document asserting Trump’s victory in Arizona, became the first individual convicted in the state’s faux elector case. Pellegrino pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense of filing a false document, while the other defendants have maintained their not guilty pleas.
Arizona’s 2020 election results saw President Joe Biden emerge victorious by a margin of 10,457 votes.
