In a surprising turn of events, Arizona’s Attorney General Kris Mayes has decided to dismiss the criminal charges against some prominent figures in the “fake elector” case, notably former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani. This move may seem like a victory for these Trump allies, but it’s important to note that Mayes, often described as a progressive, is not treating this as a setback. Instead, she plans to reconvene a grand jury to further investigate the matter, according to reports from the Associated Press.
The decision to drop the charges comes just before a critical deadline set for Friday. This procedural pivot follows a recent defeat for Mayes, as her office lost an appeal due to withholding key legal information, a misstep that marks another bump in a case that has been ongoing since the charges were originally filed in April 2024. The case, which has its roots in complex legal battles, has been a subject of scrutiny and debate for years, as reported by various outlets, including RedState.
The prosecutor in Arizona has finally dropped the unjustified and unconstitutional charges against me and all my innocent co-defendants.
All the claims about falsifying data, electors et al was a part of the Democrat massive corruption of our previously world renowned justice…
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) June 18, 2026
The prosecutor in Arizona has finally dropped the unjustified and unconstitutional charges against me and all my innocent co-defendants.Â
All the claims about falsifying data, electors et al was a part of the Democrat  massive corruption of our previously world renowned justice system
Mayes was not dropping it as a sign of defeat, though; it was ahead of a Friday deadline – and she has said her office will start another grand jury proceedings later, according to the AP:
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is dismissing a sprawling criminal case that alleged President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others tried to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in the state.
The decision announced Thursday marks the third such fake elector case filed by states to be dismissed, though the Democratic attorney general is vowing to bring it back to a grand jury in hopes of securing another indictment.
The legal maneuver is aimed at getting around a Friday deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier this month. The appeal was filed after defense attorneys argued successfully that the original grand jury hadn’t been shown the relevant parts of a law that governs how presidential contests are certified.
Indeed, she lost an appeal by hiding crucial information on the law – just the latest setback for the case that has dragged on for years. The charges were filed in April 2024. Something else RedState has previously reported on: the case’s origins reportedly are steeped in lawfare: