Overview

• Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a state grand jury indictment charging Austin Smith with 14 counts, including four felonies and 10 misdemeanor counts for forging nominating petitions
• The indictment cites sworn statements from voters whose names allegedly appeared without their consent and a count of fraudulent schemes
• Smith dropped his 2024 reelection bid and resigned as senior director of Turning Point Action in April 2024 after a lawsuit challenged the validity of his petition signatures
• A former member of the Arizona Freedom Caucus and outspoken election integrity advocate, Smith had supported a GOP-led review of the 2020 presidential results in Maricopa County
• Smith was appointed to the Arizona Young Republicans advisory board on the same day the indictment was announced