Katie Raml (00:00):
... Eighteen people indicted in an election interference case, here in Arizona.
Javier Soto (00:05): Some of those include the alleged fake electors who are accused of falsely declaring Donald Trump beat Joe Biden in Arizona's 2020 presidential election.
Katie Raml (00:14): ABC15's Marissa Sarbak, reading over this indictment for us tonight, has the key takeaways. Marissa?
Marissa Sarbak (00:20): Katie, Javier. Eleven of those named in the indictments are Arizona Republicans. The charges are conspiracy, fraud, and forgery, the accusations stemming from efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results right here in Arizona.
Kris Mayes (00:35): Arizona's election was free and fair. The people of Arizona elected President Biden. Unwilling to accept this fact, the defendants charged by the state grand jury allegedly schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency.
Marissa Sarbak (00:52): Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announcing formal charges Wednesday against 11 Arizona Republicans, including Kelli Ward, the State's GOP chair until 2023. The other 10, shown here on your screen, include two Arizona State Senators. Seven additional names also coming to light, including Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's former lawyer, and Mark Meadows, his former Chief of Staff. The indictments accuse all 18 in connection with an alleged fake elector scheme to put Trump back in office. The former president is described in the paperwork as an unindicted co-conspirator.
Kris Mayes (01:30): The investigators and attorneys assigned to this case took the necessary time to thoroughly piece together the details of the events that began nearly four years ago.
Marissa Sarbak (01:40): In 2020, Joe Biden won Arizona by more than 10,000 votes. But court paperwork details the timeline when the 11 people nominated to be Arizona's Republican electors are accused of signing a certificate falsely declaring Trump won the state, and then sending that document to Congress. State Senator Jake Hoffman, among those listed in the indictments, addressing the charges on Wednesday, saying in part, "I am innocent of any crime. I will vigorously defend myself, and I look forward to the day when I am vindicated of this naked political persecution by the judicial process." (02:17) The Arizona Republican Party also releasing a statement calling the indictments a blatant and unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial power, saying, "The timing of these charges - precisely four years after the 2020 election and as President Biden seeks reelection - is suspiciously convenient and politically motivated." (02:40) Arizona is now the fourth state where prosecutors have formally charged alleged fake electors following Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan. (02:47) Katie?