Arizona judge sets trial date for pro-Trump ‘fake electors’ in 2026

Allies of former President Donald Trump who tried to rig the 2020 election results in Arizona will go on trial in January 2026, a judge announced at a hearing on Monday, CNN reported.

In April, a grand jury in Arizona indicted 18 Republicans, including Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, on charges including fraud, forgery and tampering with public records. Most of the defendants pleaded not guilty.

Other defendants in the case include conservative attorney John Eastman and Republican National Committee attorney Christina Bobb. Because they were charged with multiple crimes at the same time, a conviction would likely result in prison time.

The defendants are accused of orchestrating or otherwise participating in an attempt to fraudulently pass off pro-Trump activists as legitimate Arizona electors. Although the trial was scheduled for 2026, Arizona State Judge Bruce Cohen said Monday that the actual trial date was a “moving target” and could be changed in the future.

Although Trump himself was not charged in the case, the jury that indicted his allies also wanted to indict the Republican nominee, CNN reported earlier this month. In court documents, Trump is described as “unindicted co-conspirator 1.”

Michigan, Georgia and Nevada have also filed charges against Trump's allies who were involved in attempts to rig the 2020 election.

The announcement comes as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is gaining traction in swing states. According to a recent New York Times/Siena College study, she is currently five percentage points ahead of Trump in Arizona. Opinion pollShe also leads in North Carolina, while Trump leads in Georgia and Nevada.