There have been some stories recently about Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes (D) calling witnesses to appear before a grand jury looking into the fake elector scheme of 2020. One this morning from Politico caught my eye: Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar subpoenaed in Arizona probe of Trump fake electors
Arizona investigators probing Republicans’ efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results have subpoenaed two members of Congress who were among Donald Trump’s closest Capitol Hill allies in the scheme.
The subpoenas to Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, which have not previously been reported, ordered the two Arizona Republicans to testify before a grand jury.
While the writers think Gosar and Briggs are not themselves targets (in part because of the difficulty of arguing that their actions were not Constitutionally protected), they go on to say:
[T]he subpoenas themselves — in conjunction with a series of other aggressive recent moves — show that Mayes, a Democrat, has cast a far wider net in her probe than previously understood.
Those “aggressive” moves include forcing some of the fake electors themselves to testify before the grand jury, where they promptly took the Fifth.
The tactic is also highly unusual and risks biasing the grand jury against key targets of the probe, according to independent legal experts who have worked as both prosecutors and defense lawyers.
If the grand jury charges them, it could even provide a longshot basis for the targets to challenge the indictment.
That makes me suspect that the fake electors themselves (at least the ones subpoenaed to testify) are not the targets, no more than the Congressmen are. That means the AG is looking at bigger fish.
From the Phoenix New Times (Feb. 18, 2021): Congressman Andy Biggs Coordinated Efforts With Mark Finchem Before Capitol Riot
Text messages show that Congressman Andy Biggs was apparently coordinating with [AZ State Rep. Mark] Finchem to gather signatures from Arizona lawmakers who endorsed a slate of fake electors from the state as part of the broader effort to overturn the 2020 election results. It's unknown if that's the same group of fakers who were caught in December sending a letter to the National Archives in Washington D.C. that fraudulently claimed Arizona's electors cast their votes for Trump. The real 11 electors cast their votes a week later for Biden, in accordance with the wishes of a majority of Arizona voters.
Those bigger fish might even include the Great Orange Shark himself. Arizona prosecutors issue grand jury subpoenas as 2020 election probe intensifies (Mar. 6, 2024):
Arizona prosecutors have asked witnesses about meetings attended by Trump where the plan to put forward slates of fake GOP electors across the country was mentioned, including one in the Oval Office on December 16, 2020, the sources said.
Other possible targets are Eastman and Chesebro, who were also at that meeting.
They have also inquired about several other boldfaced names who aided Trump’s attempt to upend Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, including conservative attorney John Eastman, the sources added.
Questions about Eastman, who was among those pushing fringe legal theories for overturning the 2020 election results and intimately involved in the fake electors scheme, primarily focused on his actions in the weeks and days leading up to January 6, 2021, according to the same sources.
Among those who have been interviewed by Arizona prosecutors in recent months is pro-Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro.
Whether or not the Big Fish himself is included (I think he could be, but I can’t figure the odds), this is yet another headache for him. Goody.