All 18 people indicted in Arizona’s fake electors scheme given pardons by President Trump

PHOENIX — Among the dozens of people who were issued pardons by President Donald Trump on Monday morning were the 18 people who were originally indicted in Arizona’s fake electors case, where they were accused of working to overturn the 2020 election.

The list, which was signed by Trump, was released on social media by Ed Martin, the Department of Justice’s pardon attorney.

Notably, the list included the president’s former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who had both been charged in the Arizona case.

Additionally, pardons were issued to all 11 Republicans who had submitted a document to Congress falsely claiming that Trump had won Arizona in 2020, three lawyers connected to Trump and two former Trump campaign officials.

Breaking: President Trump pardoned the 2020 Alternative Electors.

Thank you: @POTUS for allowing me, as U.S. Pardon Attorney, to work with @WhiteHouse, along with @AGPamBondi, @DAGToddBlanche & SG John Sauer, to achieve your intent—let their healing begin. #Federalist74 ⚖️ pic.twitter.com/rDOtgpapCB

— Ed Martin (@EdMartinDOJ) November 10, 2025

Monday’s pardons from the president apply only to federal crimes, meaning the remaining 16 members of the group could still face charges in Arizona.

Richie Taylor, a spokesman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, declined to comment on the pardons due to the lack of an effect on the state’s case.

Origins of Arizona’s fake electors case

The case stems back to Dec. 14, 2020, when the group of 11 Republicans — Kelli Ward, Michael Ward, Tyler Bowyer, Nancy Cottle, state Sen. Jake Hoffman, former state Sen. Anthony Kern, James Lamon, Robert Montgomery, Samuel Moorhead, Gregory Safsten and Lorraine Pellegrino — met to sign a document stating they were “duly elected and qualified electors” and claim that Trump had won the state’s 11 electoral votes in the 2020 election.

Former President Joe Biden had actually won the state by over 10,000 votes.

The Arizona Republican Party posted a video of the meeting to social media that day.

This was one of seven such meetings held by Republicans around the country in the wake of the 2020 election.

The Signing. pic.twitter.com/6gPsfqrk7T

— Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) December 14, 2020

An indictment was issued almost four years later, in April 2024. It included the group of false electors, Giuliani, Meadows, attorneys Christina Bobb, John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, along with Trump campaign aides Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman.

All 18 defendants were charged with conspiracy, fraud and forgery at the time and pleaded not guilty.

However, in August 2024, Ellis had her charges dropped after agreeing to work with prosecutors. Two days later, prosecutors announced that Pellegrino had changed her plea and had been convicted of a misdemeanor charge of filing a false document.

Where does Arizona’s fake electors case stand?

Currently, Attorney General Kris Mayes is at a crossroads in the fake electors case.

In September, the state Court of Appeals upheld a May ruling from Maricopa County Superior Court that sent the case back to a grand jury.

The Democratic AG now has just under two weeks until a Nov. 21 deadline, when she must decide whether she will present the case to a new grand jury, appeal the case to the state Supreme Court or drop the case.

In an interview Friday with 12News, Mayes said that she does not want to give the case up.

“At the end of the day, we cannot allow anyone, no matter who they are, to undermine the Constitution and to try to overturn an election illegally,” she told the Phoenix TV station. “I don’t think there’s anything more important than standing up for democracy and I think you see that in our actions every day.”

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