PHOENIX — President Donald Trump issued pardons Monday to all 18 people indicted in Arizona’s fake electors case, part of a broader round of clemency that included several high-profile allies.
The list of pardons, signed by Trump and released on social media by Department of Justice pardon attorney Ed Martin, includes former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and all 11 Arizona Republicans who falsely certified that Trump had won the state’s 2020 electoral votes.
Also pardoned were Trump attorneys Christina Bobb, John Eastman, and Jenna Ellis, and former campaign aides Boris Epshteyn and Mike Roman.
The pardons apply only to federal crimes, meaning state charges in Arizona remain unaffected. Officials with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said the development has no legal impact on the ongoing state case.
The case stems from a Dec. 14, 2020, meeting in which 11 Republican activists gathered to sign and submit a document claiming to be Arizona’s “duly elected and qualified electors” for Trump — despite certified results showing Joe Bidenhad won the state by over 10,000 votes.
The group’s actions mirrored efforts in six other swing states following the 2020 election. The Arizona Republican Party posted a video of the signing ceremony online that same day.
A state grand jury indicted the 18 defendants in April 2024, charging them with conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. All initially pleaded not guilty. Two defendants — Jenna Ellis and Lorraine Pellegrino — later reached separate agreements with prosecutors.
The case is now back before Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who faces a Nov. 21 deadline to decide whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court, present the case to a new grand jury, or drop it following a ruling by the Court of Appeals.
Mayes has said she intends to continue pursuing accountability in the case, calling it essential to defending Arizona’s democratic process.
