Michael Roman, a former aide to the Trump campaign who faced indictment with the ex-president in the Georgia election interference case, has recently been subpoenaed in a separate investigation in Arizona. This probe aims to scrutinize the attempts to overturn the 2020 election results within the state, as revealed by an informed source.
This subpoena emerges as part of an active investigation led by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Her office had earlier confirmed to ABC News their focus on examining the so-called “alternate elector” scheme in Arizona. “We will announce something in the relatively near future,” Mayes stated, hinting at upcoming developments in the investigation.
Kenneth Chesebro, accused of orchestrating the Trump campaign’s counterfeit elector strategy, engaged in a discussion with Arizona investigators in recent weeks, as sources disclosed to ABC News. Chesebro, who faced indictment in the Georgia case, accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a single felony charge and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
It was noted that Chesebro was not subpoenaed for this interview in Arizona but participated voluntarily. Both an attorney for Roman and a spokesperson for the Arizona attorney general’s office declined to comment on the matter when approached by ABC News. Similarly, a response from the Trump campaign’s spokesperson was not immediately available.
In a related development, ABC News had previously uncovered a memo dated December 6, 2020, penned by Chesebro. This document outlined a plan for “alternate” electors to convene, vote, and submit their certificates, aiming to closely mimic the legitimate actions of Biden electors. The strategy was to introduce fraudulent votes on January 6, thereby creating a false controversy to obstruct the proper certification of Biden as president-elect.
Roman, who was indicted in Georgia in August alongside Trump and 17 others, pleaded not guilty to the seven counts he faces. These charges are related to his alleged role in coordinating and appointing alternate slates of electors across multiple states. “I need a tracker for the electors,” Roman purportedly wrote in a December 2020 email, instructing associates to update a spreadsheet with presidential elector nominees in key battleground states including Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan.
Prosecutors in various states have pursued charges related to the submission of alternate slates of electors. In Michigan, felony charges were filed against 16 Republicans for their alleged attempt to replace Michigan’s electoral votes for Joe Biden with votes for then-President Donald Trump, with nine of them later pleading not guilty. Additionally, the Nevada attorney general indicted six so-called alternate electors for falsely presenting themselves as the state’s duly-elected presidential electors. Recently, Politico reported that the office had issued several grand jury subpoenas.
In November, Mayes described the Arizona investigation as “robust” to CNN. She emphasized the commitment to conducting the investigation on their terms, dedicating the necessary resources to ensure justice is served for both Arizonans and the nation as a whole.