Trump fake electors subpoenaed in grand jury investigation of 2020 election plot

A grand jury issued subpoenas Wednesday to several Arizona Republicans who took part in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

The exact number of people who received subpoenas is unclear, but most of the 11 originally involved in the plot received legal documents, according to those familiar with the matter.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, may be near a decision about whether to bring criminal charges. It is unclear if she is targeting people involved with former President Donald Trump’s national campaign or if the investigation is focused on people in Arizona who tried to overturn the election there. Mayes previously has only focused on the 11 fake electors from Arizona.

Kenneth Chesebro, a pro-Trump lawyer who was indicted in Georgia on racketeering charges, has been interviewed by prosecutors in Arizona, according to CNN. The prosecutors asked him about an Oval Office meeting with the former president when he explained a scenario in which Trump could use “alternate electors” in Arizona and six other states to contest the election.

“I ended up explaining that Arizona was still hypothetically possible — because the alternate electors had voted,” Chesebro told Michigan investigators.

In tandem with Chesebro, James Troupis, who oversaw Trump’s legal efforts in Wisconsin, provided records of back-and-forth communication about how to overturn the election in multiple states. The pair had communication with then-state Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward; the state party’s executive director, Greg Safsten, who was also an elector; and others involved with the conspiracy.

Arizona prosecutors have asked people about similar meetings with Trump about placing fake electors across the country ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, certification. They also questioned attorney John Eastman about pushing legal false theories for overturning the election, which led to fake electors in multiple states.

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Eleven fake electors claimed they were representatives of the state’s electoral votes in 2020, vowing to sign documents to elect Trump after then-Gov. Doug Ducey had already certified Biden’s win in Arizona.

If the charges are brought forward, Arizona would join Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada in charging pro-Trump fake electors. Trump lost the Grand Canyon State to Biden by a narrow 11,000 votes in 2020.

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