Arizona prosecution of fake electors
| Arizona v. Ward | |
|---|---|
| Court | Arizona Superior Court in and for the County of Maricopa |
| Full case name | State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al. |
| Docket nos. | CR2024-006850 (93 SGJ 81) |
| Charge | List of charges
|
| Case history | |
| Prior action | Plea bargains (pre-trial)
|
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Bruce Cohen |
State of Arizona v. Kelli Ward, et al. is a state criminal prosecution concerning the Trump fake electors plot in Arizona.
The 18 defendants, including 11 Arizona Republicans and seven Donald Trump associates, are accused of producing and attempting to use a certificate of ascertainment to falsely claim Trump had won the state's electoral votes in the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Arizona. The eleven fake electors included former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, who allegedly led 10 other Republicans in signing the fraudulent certificate. Charges against one of the seven Trump associates, Jenna Ellis, were dropped after she agreed to cooperate with the prosecution.
The indictment contains nine criminal counts, including felony fraud, forgery, and conspiracy. The case was set to begin trial on January 5, 2026 however the Maricopa County Superior Court ordered the case back to the grand jury on May 19, 2025 due to the prosecution denying defendants “a substantial procedural right as guaranteed by Arizona law.” for not detailing the Electoral Count Act which is central to the defendants’ claims they were acting lawfully.