Trump Allies Face Trial Over Arizona Election Interference
Key associates of former President Donald Trump, including Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani, will go on trial on January 5, 2026. The trial is centered on allegations they attempted to overturn the results of Arizona’s 2020 presidential election, as announced by a judge on Monday. The date is notably set just one day before the five-year anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot.
Meadows, who served as Trump’s White House chief of staff, and Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, are among 16 defendants in this case. All have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial comes nearly five years after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol during the certification of the election results, driven by his unfounded claims of election fraud.
The state has specifically accused Giuliani of spreading false claims about election fraud and pressuring officials at both the state and local levels to change the election outcome. Prosecutors allege that he led a meeting in Phoenix where he chastised officials for not validating the election results.
Several other defendants, identified as “fake electors,” allegedly signed documents falsely declaring Trump as the winner of Arizona’s 2020 election. Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis, who was initially indicted, had her charges dismissed after pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with Arizona prosecutors. Additionally, a Republican activist who falsely proclaimed Trump as the election winner also entered a guilty plea.
Though Trump is not a defendant in this case, he is mentioned as “unindicted co-conspirator 1” in the charging documents. Trump faces separate charges for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in both federal and Georgia cases.
The scheme involving alternate electors aimed to have former Vice President Mike Pence certify slates of Trump-supporting electors in key states, instead of recognizing the actual Electoral College votes for President Biden. Pence refused to comply with this plan on January 6, 2021.
