- 11 Republicans signed documents as ‘alternate’ electors for Donald Trump
- Grand jury has subpoenaed participants
- Comes after lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis reached Wisconsin settlement
An Arizona grand jury has sent out subpoenas to alleged participants in a version of the ‘fake electors scheme’ in the state –the latest iteration of a multi-state conspiracy probe springing from the effort to overturn the 2020 election results.
The subpoenas ask the Republican ‘electors’ to testify before a grand jury about their involvement in a plan that would have substituted them for the 11 electors determined by the vote of the people in the state, the Washington Post reported.
State prosecutors have subpoenaed ‘multiple people’ linked to Donald Trump‘s 2020 campaign, Politico reported Wednesday, calling it an indication that state Attorney General Kris Mayes is wrapping up her probe.
Trump on Wednesday became the de facto Republican presidential nominee for 2024 after rival Nikki Haley announced she was dropping out of the race.
An Arizona grand jury has sent out subpoenas to alleged participants in a version of the ‘fake electors scheme’, amid indications that lawyer Ken Chesebro, an architect of the scheme, was central to the probe
The Arizona effort features some of the same cast of characters as other contested states where Trump allies sought to overturn the results that went for Joe Biden.
One critical figure, Kenneth Chesebro, already pleaded guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents in the state of Georgia after being charged as one of 18 Trump codefendants there.
Chesebro has been revealed to have penned memos after news organizations called the race for Biden that spelled out a plan to have states submit ‘alternate’ electors in a move that could have forced the House to referee a contested election – with House Republicans in the driver’s seat.
A source told the Post Chesebro appeared to be central to the latest round of subpoenas to electors.
A flurry of grand jury activity could indicate that Arizona AG Kris Mayes is wrapping up her probe
Former state Party chair Kelli Ward appears in communications with Trump lawyers about the fake electors scheme
Chesebro (circled) was pictured near the Capitol on January 6
Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge in Georgia
The developments came in a week when Donald Trump effectively wrapped up his party’s nomination for president
Chesebro and James Troupis, who served as lawyer to Trump’s 2020 campaign in Wisconsin, this week reached a settlement with that state, ending a suit there and releasing email and photo communications during the critical days leading up to January 6.
In one photo, Chesebro texts Troupis a smiling photo of himself at the Capitol on January 6 while sporting a Trump had. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones can be seen in the background.
In addition to the Georgia case, prosecutors in Michigan and Nevada have brought charges relate to efforts to substitute fake electors.
In Georgia, Michael Roman is charged as part of the scheme. It is Roman’s lawyer Ashleigh Merchant who brought forth sensational revelations that Fulton County DA Fani Willis had engaged in a ‘romantic’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Wisconsin texts between Chesebro and Troupis show the two men discussing an effort to get an ‘original copy’ of an alternate Wisconsin slate of electors to Sen. Mike Johnson and his chief of staff.
Troupis asked to talke about ‘SCOTUS’ strategy – meaning the Supreme Court.’ Chesebro, who attended a December meeting at the White House with Trump, was optimistic. ‘Trump sounds so forceful that maybe Pence has actually agreed to do something at least like not opening the envelopes until a Commission investigates. We’ll see soon,’ he writes of envelopes containing the electoral votes.
Records also show the pair communicating with former state Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward. Ward was among the 11 people who signed documents purporting to be electors, posting the event on social media.
‘Kelli knows how to get in touch with all the electors and has been coordinating with them I believe,’ Chesebro wrote in one newly released document.
Records also show Ward reaching to to people who were close to Trump and his campaing at the time. ‘I spoke directly to Rudy and told him we were working to make sure we accomplish what we need to do,’ she said in a likely reference to former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.