Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss her office’s criminal case that alleged more than a dozen allies of President Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
The move was made to pave the way for a new indictment that state prosecutors can present to a grand jury on a “reasonable timeline,” per the motion.
The original indictment had been delayed since May 2025, when a Maricopa County judge threw out the case. The state’s appeal of the judge’s decision made its way to the Arizona Supreme Court, which declined to revive the case earlier this month. After her appeal loss, Mayes is preparing to take the election case back to a new grand jury to secure a follow-up indictment.
The Democratic attorney general moved to dismiss the initial indictment without prejudice, meaning the case can be refiled in court.
The motion explains that the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to reject the state’s appeal triggered a 15-day clock requiring Mayes to start new grand jury proceedings. The deadline would have lapsed on Friday, and Mayes argued she needed more time.
“This case is complex and will require substantial presentation of evidence and time to accommodate Defendants’ requests to testify and present evidence,” prosecutors wrote in the court document. “While the State intends to re-present the case to the State Grand Jury, that re-presentation will not happen within the 15-day deadline.”
In April 2024, Mayes announced the indictment of 18 defendants, including former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Eleven Republicans who signed documents stating they were legitimate electors in Arizona were also charged.
Since then, three defendants have resolved their cases. The remaining 15 defendants, including Giuliani, pleaded not guilty.
Attorney Mark Williams, who represents Giuliani, maintained that his client and the rest who were indicted did nothing wrong and were merely exercising their rights to free speech and to petition the government.
“This action was brought to punish Mr. Giuliani and the other Republican defendants for exercising their constitutional rights,” Williams said. “It’s appropriate that it’s being dismissed.”
ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL RELAUNCHES 2020 ELECTION CASE AGAINST TRUMP ALLIES
The long-delayed case is no closer to completion as Mayes abandons her original indictment in favor of a new one. The Maricopa County Superior Court still has to dismiss the case without prejudice, as requested by the attorney general.
The legal development comes at a time when Mayes is seeking reelection. Though she is running unopposed in the Democratic primary on July 21, Mayes could be facing steep competition in November. Attorney Rodney Glassman and Arizona state Sen. Warren Petersen are running in the Republican primary. Both have said they will dismiss the 2020 election charges if either of them is elected to the statewide post.