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Arizona Supreme Court Orders Grand Jury for 18 Fake-Elector Defendants

6/5/2026

29 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A Phoenix lower-court judge ruled the grand jury was not shown the Electoral Count Act text.
The Arizona Supreme Court denied the appeal and ordered the fake-elector case back to a grand jury.
Attorney General Kris Mayes said her office will submit the case to a grand jury despite the setback.
The indictment lists 18 defendants: two former Trump aides, five Trump lawyers and 11 Republicans who signed a certification.

History

Historical Context

In 2000 the U.S. Supreme Court stopped Florida’s recount in Bush v. Gore, issuing a 5-4 per curiam ruling on Dec 12 that the state’s varying ballot standards violated equal protection and missed the safe-harbor deadline, awarding Bush the state by a 537-vote margin. That decision underlies today’s Arizona Supreme Court review of the Electoral Count Act and the indictment of 18 alleged fake electors.

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Story summary

A Phoenix lower-court judge ruled the grand jury was not shown the Electoral Count Act text.
The Arizona Supreme Court denied the appeal and ordered the fake-elector case back to a grand jury.
Attorney General Kris Mayes said her office will submit the case to a grand jury despite the setback.
The indictment lists 18 defendants: two former Trump aides, five Trump lawyers and 11 Republicans who signed a certification.

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