Giuliani, Meadows Among Indicted in Ariz. Election Interference Case

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Facts

• 18 people, including Rudy Giuliani, and former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday were indicted by an Arizona grand jury for their roles in an alleged attempt to overturn Pres. Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election.¹
• Among those in the indictment, which was released Wednesday, were Kelli Ward, who was state GOP chair up until last year, and state Sen. Anthony Kern, who's currently running for US Congress from the state. Trump wasn't charged but was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.²
• Eleven of the defendants, who are accused of taking part in the so-called 'fake electors' scheme, face charges over signing documents claiming to be legitimate electors for Trump despite Biden's victory in the state, in addition to other charges.³
• Arizona Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes said the results of her 13-month investigation show she 'will not allow American democracy to be undermined.'⁴
• Arizona is one of several states with similar cases, including Michigan and Georgia. In addition, Trump is in the midst of a trial over charges he falsified business documents in New York, and the US Supreme Court on Thursday heard arguments over his claims of presidential immunity.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²New York Times, ³USA Today, ⁴CBS and ⁵Independent.

Narratives

• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by MSNBC. The 'fake electors' scheme is one of the most shocking political scandals of the millennium, and it's about time those who participated are having to face the music. In addition to Arizona and other states that have already indicted these would-be usurpers of democracy, there are several investigations ongoing in other states. These cases are important for preventing a similar scheme in the future.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Breitbart. These defendants were earnestly exercising their right to object to an election result they believed was rigged and should not face criminal charges. But the Democrats are again weaponizing the legal system to target Trump and his allies just after a poll showing the former president soundly beating Biden in the battleground states. This witch hunt knows no bounds.

Predictions