ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona is at the heart of Trump’s election troubles, KTAR’s legal analyst says

Aug 2, 2023, 4:15 AM | Updated: Aug 29, 2023, 5:35 pm

Arizona at heart of Trump indictment election voting fraud 2023...

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PHOENIX — The 45-page indictment against former President Donald Trump unsealed this week revealed Arizona’s large part in the indictment, according to a legal counselor with Maricopa County.

Trump’s latest indictment directly mentions the Copper State. To be more exact, it mentions efforts to change election results from Trump’s 2020 presidential battle with Joe Biden.

“Arizona has a very large part in this indictment,” KTAR News 92.3 FM‘s legal analyst Barry Markson said.

Markson, who combed over the indictment, said the document includes multiple references to former Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers. Although the paperwork doesn’t mention Bowers by name, it mentions him indirectly by referring to the then-speaker.

What does Rusty Bowers have to do with the latest Trump indictment?

Bowers repeatedly told Trump and his representatives that there was no evidence of fraud or election stealing going on in the Copper State, according to an early July interview on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad show in early July.

“If there was a problem here, I’ve got to see it,” he recalled telling Trump’s team. “I want the names on my desk of all the dead people, all the servicemen’s ballots that were stolen, their names.”

Bowers even spoke to the FBI, who probed him about what happened. According to Markson, Bowers didn’t get the proof he asked for.

“He was told either ‘We don’t have proof’ or ‘We have a lot of theories’ or ‘We have a lot of ideas’ and he said, ‘That’s not enough to make me violate my oaths,'” Markson said.

That’s not the only way Arizona is closely tied to the latest political bombshells, though.

Fake electors also tie Arizona to Trump’s indictment

“The other connection with Arizona is the fake electors,” Markson said.

“Trump and his followers in this election denialism contacted seven different states and encouraged some Trump supporters in those states to become fake electors,” he said.

In other words, according to Markson, Trump reporters in these seven states submitted “a slate of electors who weren’t real.”

He said Trump and his followers tried to confuse Arizona’s Congresses with electors who hadn’t been elected in order to confuse legislators so the election couldn’t be certified on Jan. 6.

Arizona was one of those states Trump allegedly tried to bamboozle

“There was a slate of electors led by former Arizona Republican party chair Kelli Ward and her husband who signed a fake elector form making it look like the official document that was filed by the state of Arizona and submitted that to Congress and the National Archives, even though it was fake. They were not elected electors of Arizona,” he said.

In Dec. 2020, former party chair Kelli Ward tweeted a photo of her and 11 Republicans who teamed up to vote for Trump.

Markson said there were two separate slates of fake electors in Arizona. One was made up of relative unknowns. Ward’s group was made up of well-known politicians who are currently under investigation by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, he said.

“I don’t know whether or not she will indict them, but just as a reference, in Michigan, the federal attorney there just indicted the fake electors and charged each of them individually with eight separate felonies,” Markson said.

Overall, though, Markson says the latest indictment features Arizona as one of the states that played a huge role in Trump’s election controversy.

“Arizona’s in there a lot,” he said. “There’s definitely a big Arizona component in there.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Heidi Hommel contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

(ABC15 Arizona File Footage)...

Nicole Grigg/ABC15 Arizona

After 25 years, Cookie Jacobson’s body has still never been found

Cookie Jacobson disappeared from her Tempe home 25 years ago. Her brother is making a plea to the public for possibly the last time for information.

3 hours ago

(ADOT Photo)...

Danny Shapiro

1st year down of massive Interstate 17 improvement project north of metro Phoenix

The first year of construction on a massive Interstate 17 improvement project north of metro Phoenix has been completed.

5 hours ago

Mugshot of Omar Rivas, who was arrested on multiple felony counts, including first-degree murder, o...

KTAR.com

Woman dead, man in jail after gunfire erupts during Phoenix home invasion

A woman is dead and a man is in jail after gunfire broke out during an apparent home invasion attempt in south Phoenix early Monday, authorities said.

7 hours ago

man walking along border fence to pick up trash...

KTAR.com

With Biden making his way to Arizona, border officials plea for impactful change

As Biden prepares to make his second trip during his presidency to Arizona, border officials are emphasizing the need for change.

9 hours ago

Sen. Mark Kelly, left, of Arizona called on Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, a fellow Democrat, ...

Kevin Stone

Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona says fellow Democrat Robert Menendez should resign

Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said Tuesday that Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, a fellow Democrat, should resign amid federal corruption charges.

9 hours ago

...

Sponsored Content by Schwartz Laser Eye Center

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sponsored Articles

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

Arizona is at the heart of Trump’s election troubles, KTAR’s legal analyst says